Author and Illustrator Robert Nutt shares with us the events of a significant day in the history of Amy’s Light. Amy’s Light is the tale of a girl who discovers the magic of fireflies. Through this discovery, Amy also learns about the light that radiates from within her. As warm summer days and fireflies begin to make their appearance, we encourage you and your children to connect with nature by heading outside and reading books such as Amy’s Light. Perhaps, like Amy, you too will be inspired by the magic within.
I love to share the story of “The Day the Phone Rang Twice”, and when I look back, I still ask myself, “did that REALLY happen?”
The rain falling that day seemed to make little ‘dents’ everywhere as I danced my way around one puddle after another. The door to our home was only twenty feet away, but with the deluge upon me it seemed like miles. “Duck”, I mumbled to myself as I made my way quickly to the safety of the front step, “I should be a duck”, thinking of quacking as I opened the front door. Timing was an issue now as once inside, I threw off my soaked coat and rushed to the studio to unplug the computer before any lightning hit. Just as I was unplugging, “KABLAAMMM”, and a sudden shaking of the floor (or was that me?), and the telephone rang, which usually means a direct hit to the line somewhere and it travels to things like computers or answering machines which then tend to spit out their cassette tapes and spew forth clouds of smoke (this DID happen once, I don’t think they liked my message).
And then the strangest thing happened… it rang a second time. My daughter answered the phone, then came to me and said it was for me. Needless to say my eyebrows were now in “furrow” mode, wondering who might have such an entrance, and you guessed it! It was Glenn from Dawn Publications. Now, this might seem only mildly interesting to the average reader, but considering I had just gotten a “let’s work together” call from a California publisher only a week and a half after submitting a book and “flash” animation of the book about firefly’s and their “flashes” of light…. Well, need I say more?
— Robert Nutt
