Q&A with Sherman Kew, Jr., author of An Ornament Story
Meet the author
Sherman Kew Jr. is a creative force with a rich background in art and storytelling. He has spent over a decade working in Hollywood's art departments. Now residing in Georgia with his family, Sherman has added author to his long, creative resume. An Ornament Story: A Cocoa and SCrumbs Tale is his first book and marks the beginning of the Cocoa and SCrumbs North Pole universe. What began as a bedtime story for his children has grown into a heartwarming holiday tale.
We sat down with Sherman to talk about the inspiration behind the book, his love for the holidays, and why, if you're just 2 inches tall and shiny, cats might be a little scary.
Book: An Ornament Story: A Cocoa and SCrumbs Tale
By: Sherman Kew Jr.
For ages: The book is for middle-grade readers (ages 8-12) but has also proven a fun holiday bookclub read for groups older than 12
Where did you get the inspiration for An Ornament Story?
Well, if you must know, an elf or an ornament or what-have-you left a little green book for me in my attic, and I simply transposed the text and artwork into the book you see now.
That is what I always thought happened, but now… I’m not so sure. Now, the pages in the little green book are blank, so I can no longer be certain… Now, sometimes, I think the idea came to me when I was taking the tree outside after Christmas.
Wherever the idea came from, the tale hit me like a snowball to the face, fully made, and I felt the entire story unfold, like wet snow down my shirt collar. So, I started telling the story to my children at bedtime, and since they kept asking me to continue (whether to hear more about the tale or to stay up later, I shall never know), I put pen to paper and wrote it down for them.
How did your children influence - and maybe change? - the story?
There is a mishmash of details from my family in this story. Some details more directly—like my daughter’s “ducky pillow,” or my son’s “boat-feet” as we say—and some details more indirectly, like the “red string” which lead our hero on a scavenger hunt, a pivotal moment in the story.
And of course, while telling my kiddos this story at bedtime, I received plenty of notes and feedback about who the ornaments should be and what they might look like.
Do you feel differently about Christmas trees and ornaments after writing this story?
I absolutely love Christmas! When the lights are aglow… and you feel that tingle—like magic is in the air! And, yes, after writing this book, my feelings towards ornaments have changed dramatically. It pains me to admit, when I was a kid, I was never excited to dress the tree each year. I did however, always love the historical and story aspects that unfolded when hanging ornaments.
“Oh, remember this one?”
The moment when someone pulled an ornament from the box and said, “Oh, remember this one?” And then what would follow was the outpouring of a mini-story about the family, a fun memory resurfaced, or a moment in time I had never known.
Those were—and remain—the best part of decorating the tree.
What do you hope the takeaway will be for kids reading/hearing this story?
After reading An Ornament Story, I hope kiddos take away a greater love for ornaments and a respect for the stories and history they can carry.
I also hope, perhaps, they are inspired to perform a selfless act, and with it, gain the warm feeling that comes as your secret reward. Lastly, I hope kids learn the importance of finishing things, even if they are not perfect (perhaps especially when they are not perfect).
What’s your beef with cats? I know several chihuahuas who would gladly do some serious damage to low-hanging ornaments....
Oh—I have no beef with cats or dogs! At six feet one inches tall, I love cats and dogs. But, if I were to be, say, two inches tall with an acorn-sized belly, and I maybe wore bells… I might have a different view of monster-beast cats and their sandpaper tongues, wire whiskers, and razor claws… Dogs, too, for that matter.
Is there some of you in the main character ornament, Philip?
Yes. I think Philip, the drummer boy, and I share a lot. At times, I too can feel overwhelmed and just want to drum! I too sometimes cannot see the forest for the trees, or in our case, see the Christmas tree for the ornaments. It can be too easy at times to forget what is truly important.
And lastly, after writing this book, do you meticulously check your family’s Christmas tree every year before taking it out to make sure you’re not leaving any ornaments behind?
Absolutely. And not only that, I have frequented tree drop-off zones post Christmas to rescue ornaments that were accidentally thrown out with the discarded trees. Those lost ornaments now share a branch and a home on our tree, and they always make for a terrific pull from the box: “Oh, kiddos, do you remember where we found this ornament?”