Author: Debbie Roppolo
Genre: Humorous Parenting Memoir, Children’s Picture Books
Books: The Toilet’s Overflowing and the Dog’s Wearing my Underwear, If a Chicken Could Shop (upcoming), Amelia Frump and her Peanut Butter-Loving, Overactive Imagination; Amelia Frump…is Cooking Up a Peanut Butter Storm (award-winning activity/cookbook); He’s My Brother (award-winner); and Amelia Frump and the Cajillion-Million Dollar Adventure
#Interview with @debbieroppolo about her book, The Toilet’s Overflowing and the Dog’s Wearing my Underwear. Who knew parenting was a contact sport? #humor #parenting
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“Stuff Happens”
Interview by Jenny Fulton
Debbie Roppolo an award-winning baker, humorist, and children’s book author who enjoys finding and writing about the humor in life.
One of her award-winning books is a cookbook for kids in which the main ingredient is peanut butter.
“I never knew there were so many recipes where it was a major ingredient,” Roppolo quipped.
Inspired by comedic style of Erma Bombeck, Debbie’s latest book, The Toilet’s Overflowing and the Dog’s Wearing my Underwear, is filled with the laugh-or-cry moments of her parenting journey.
“I find parenting an… interesting adventure,” Roppolo shared. “It’s important to find humor in certain situations, like the time my dog paraded in front of company attired in my ratty underwear. The alternative is sitting in a corner, whimpering, and eating enough Whoppers to fill a dump truck.”
Theme of The Toilet’s Overflowing and the Dog’s Wearing my Underwear: “stuff happens”, especially when children are involved.
What inspired you to write this book?
“When I was a teen, I thought parenting would be a breeze; my mother made it look so easy. However, when I entered parenthood, I soon discovered that it’d be easier to dress a raccoon than give a toddler medication, and cell phones, kids, and water don’t mix. It also made me realize why my mother became prematurely gray-headed. I love humor, and as I said earlier, the writings of Bombeck. I wanted to share my crazy adventures with others, hopefully give them a chuckle and enable them to realize the importance of laughing at oneself.”
How did writing this book impact you?
“As I wrote the book, recalling the memories, I realized how precious family is. It was a reminder to also cherish the time spent, remembering as many details as possible because the hours together are fleeting.”
What do you hope readers come away with after reading your book?
“The important thing is learning from your experiences and realizing that not everything is earth-shattering, especially when it involves kids. When it happens, take a break, reflect, and find some humor in the situation.”
Open to Submissions
Roppolo recently started her own traditional, independent children’s book publishing company. It’s called Pecan Springs Publishing, and all the info is at: www.pecanspringspublishing.com. Her team accepts early readers, chapter books, picture books, middle grade, and young adult manuscripts.
Book Blurb for The Toilet’s Overflowing and the Dog’s Wearing my Underwear
In the BC (before children) years, award-winning humor author Debbie Roppolo believed parenting would be a breeze. Had she known motherhood entailed fishing cell phones from toilets and pulling cocoa puffs out of noses, she might have become a nun. Armed with a sharp wit, her stories, and the realization that parenting is sometimes a contact sport, Roppolo enlightens the reader with the knowledge that parenting is a wonderful journey, especially if the path is edged with humor.
Purchase the Books
- The Toilet’s Overflowing and the Dog’s Wearing my Underwear
- Amelia Frump and her Peanut Butter-Loving, Overactive Imagination
- Amelia Frump…is Cooking Up a Peanut Butter Storm
- He’s My Brother
- Amelia Frump and the Cajillion-Million Dollar Adventure
Connect with Debbie
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