Here is a profile written by Vikkie Bartholomeus appearing on Monday, December 13, 2010 in the Maastricht area's daily newspaper, De Limburger.
I was interviewed at Selexyz bookstore the week after our spectacular debut there with Dutch Immigration Minister, Gerd Leers reading the Dutch responsively with me reading the English.
The article explains the main motivation for writing the book eleven years ago: My beloved late husband, Martijn Antonius Anna Hermse, and I met and married later in life, and since we had no children of our own, our adored cats, Yin, Yang and baby Snoepje, became our alternative family. I wrote the book in one evening as a father's Day Gift for him after we'd adopted our first kitten together, the indomitable Miss Snoepje, to whom he gave a true Dutch name.
Vikkie Bartholomeus, the interviewer, also highlights the fact that I believe children are channels through which meaningful large-scale change can occur, and that by introducing them in future versions of the book, to themes of love, tolerance and understanding, we can create a saner global view.
She mentions that future versions will introduce more cross-cultural and inter-racial characters, couples who are gay or individuals with disabilities (such as in wheelchairs), other wild and companion animals including some who are trained to help others, and so on, in the hopes that children grow up with a healthy sense of how our differences can link, rather than divide us. Adults can help create a world without wars by allowing children to create respectful links with all creatures. What better way than writing children's books that reinforce a peaceful, respectful world view?
The article mentions that the next book will be set in Maastricht, and will hopefully feature bilingual editions in many other languages such as Dutch, German, French and even the Maastrichts' dialect language, in order to stimulate children (of all ages) to learn new languages.
