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  • Janet Yeager, Mt. Vernon resident, holds her first published book, “Matilda’s Upside Down Smile.” The rhymed children’s book, which has a topic of acceptance, is to be released this week from Casa de Snapdragon Publishing Company, based in Albuquerque, N.M. RORYE O’CONNOR/REGISTER-NEWS

    Yeager
February 7, 2012

Local woman's first book is published

By RORYE O’CONNOR rorye.oconnor@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — Janet Yaeger’s first children’s book, “Matilda’s Upside Down Smile,” is being released this week through Casa de Snapdragon Publishing Company of Albuquerque, N.M.

Yaeger said the book, which is the first in a series of six she hopes to publish, deals with themes of acceptance for children who are preschool to kindergarten age.

“Matilda always has a frown, until she hangs from a tree and people see her upside down smile, and then her friends stop and talk to her,” Yaeger said. “She has an imaginary playmate who helps her through it, and then she wakes up one morning with a smile.”

Yaeger said her book is aimed to give young children hope that no matter what they are going through, it won’t last forever, and everything usually gets better.

She said her main character, Matilda, a red-haired girl, is meant to be a champion for the underdog.

“I’ve had counselors who said the book would be great in counseling sessions,” she said. “There are teachers who have told me it’s great and they want it in their classrooms, and I’ve had adults read it and cry, because we’ve all had something that hurt us and made us feel left out.”

Yaeger said she started writing after a spinal surgery six years ago.

“Before that, I didn’t write,” she said. “I started having these thoughts — I think in rhyme.”

She said she found a following on a poetry website, and caught the attention of Janet Brennan, the co-owner of Casa de Snapdragon.

“She asked me to be a guest poet with her online literary magazine,” Yaeger explained. “I was among people who have won Pulitzers, people with multiple published books and here I am, writing in a different style. But people liked the way I wrote.”

She said her husband encouraged her to try to have her Matilda stories published, because she had multiple stories.

Yaeger said she feels called to write the inspirational books, despite writing not being a part of her past career.

“I’ll be 65 in August,” she said. “I retired at 55. A lot of people coast when they retire, but I’ve always been the kind of person who wants to be busy — to find new opportunities, a new career. I’ve dabbled in other things, but this has my heart.”

The book is illustrated by Rusty Watson, co-owner of Down Memory Lane Art Studio, Yaeger said.

“Even though my publisher is small ... I feel really fortunate, because I can collaborate with (my illustrator),” she said. “She has certainly done a wonderful job.”

Yaeger said she has about seven book signings tentatively scheduled, but she doesn’t have the books to sign yet. She said she hopes to receive the shipments this week.

“Matilda’s Upside Down Smile,” will be available on barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com, or can be ordered by any bookstore, Yaeger said.

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