Chuck and his wife, Cindy, live in Blue Ash. They and their four kids have been in Cincinnati for many years.

With his own kids, he considered part of his role was making them laugh, so he’d describe the things they’d see in ways they would know he was kidding. A squirrel in the back yard would become an elephant climbing a tree. That’s when the idea for the book hit him: “what would things look like ‘In My World’ if I could use my own imagination?” he thought…

So, he wrote the first verse of the book over 15 years ago, but never finished it. He grew up with great children’s books because his grandma actually wrote and published several. But his greatest inspiration to finish this book came when his grandson, Nolan, came along. A month after he was born, Chuck finished his “In My World” book.

When I talked with him, he said it was a fun story to write, and it actually turned out much better than he imagined! He said a family friend illustrated it to bring the images to life with amazing colors and so many things on each page that create a conversation beyond the words of the story. She even worked in a picture of Chuck’s grandson Nolan into one of the pages which is fun to find!

I know kids seem to love seeing things that are colorfully different than what they know. My daughter learned the words quickly since it’s a rhyming story, and she loved talking about everything else she saw on each page.

Chuck says one things readers shared about the story is that it’s a great reminder to see things that are different as colorful and fun. It’s ok not to be typical and to use your imagination to share a fun story see how kids react to it.

The book can be found locally in Rookwood at Joseph Beth or the Barnes & Noble in West Chester. It’s also available online on Amazon and lots of other online book retailers.

You can find out more information about the book (and the author) at: www.inmyworldchuckaardema.com.