https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CGF66HLL
What
inspired you to create the character of Beanie the bear?
When I had
children, I wanted to create a means of conveying some of life’s most important
lessons in a manner that is relatable to developing minds. That desire led me
to a bear with a fun and simple name to pronounce. My youngest son used to call
my oldest son Beanie because he could not pronounce his actual name.
There's
a lot of mystery surrounding Beanie's 'effortless' accomplishments. How did you
navigate the line between making his successes believable and maintaining an
element of surprise for the readers?
I think the
illustrations play a large part in showing Beane’s athleticism and stature.
Bears are naturally a larger animal which lends itself to having a more
athletic prowess. We also added overalls as Benie’s attire which is typically
associated with hard working occupations such as mechanics or farmers.
What do
you hope readers will take away from Beanie’s story, particularly in terms of
what it means to be "lucky"?
There can be an element of luck in any given situation, but it will only account for a small amount of a desired outcome. Most often what determines success or failure is hard work and preparation.
The
title "The Luckiest Bear" implies a deeper theme regarding fortune and
fate. How do you personally define luck, and how did that influence the book?
I
personally believe in luck or chance and that it has an impact on our lives,
but I believe that impact occurs in the margins of what makes individuals excel.
I also believe through hard work, persistence, intelligence and other
attributes that can be developed, we have the ability to shrink those margins
so that luck becomes less necessary to achieve success.
Beanie's
hidden attribute is a significant aspect of the narrative. Without giving too
much away, can you explain why you felt it was necessary for him to have this
secret?
We only
really get to observe our athletes or composers or scientists at the moments of
their successes without fully understanding the hard work and sacrifices they
had to make for those achievements.
Did you
draw from any personal experiences or stories you've heard in real life when
developing Beanie's journey?
I was
fortunate enough to participate in college athletics and gain an understanding
of how much effort goes into being successful. When you’re on the track, court,
field or any other stage are the fun times that everyone gets to see but there
are also countless hours of preparation that goes into every minute in the spotlight.
How did
you go about developing the supporting characters in the story, and how do they
highlight or challenge Beanie’s unique abilities?
A lemur is
a lesser known animal that I could introduce to some young children and it also
served to contrast Beanie’s natural size as a bear. The characteristics of
Lilly being both curious and loyal are attributes of many successful individuals
and demonstrate that there are many avenues to and definitions of success.
Luck and
effort often seem to be at odds with each other in society's perception. What's
your take on this, based on Beanie's story?
I view the juxtaposition
of luck and effort as a finite spectrum of achievement in that the more effort
or work that goes into a task the less luck you will need for success, and vice
a versa.
Children's
books often have underlying messages or moral lessons. What would you say is
the core message of "The Luckiest Bear"?
I based
this book on one of my favourite quotes from Thomas Jefferson; “I am a great
believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more of it I have.”
Are
there any plans to continue Beanie’s story in future books or explore the world
you've created in different ways?
Beanie,
with the addition of new characters, will be returning in subsequent books that
highlight other positive attributes and life lessons using kid-friendly,
relatable situations.
https://www.amazon.com/Luckiest-Bear-Jason-McDaniel-ebook/dp/B0CGF66HLL?nodl=1&dplnkId=f340a70c-ef7a-4b2d-9570-92257171dc3f
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-luckiest-bear-jason-mcdaniel/1143894086
https://www.penguinbookshop.com/book/9781684880928
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195942879-the-luckiest-bear
https://www.annieblooms.com/book/9781684880928
https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-luckiest-bear_jason-mcdaniel/39586956/#edition=67883797&idiq=59133043