Her message to children: Wash your hands!

It was this very passion and love for writing and being a first-time mother that inspired Cloud to write a children’s book on an ever-present and important subject; hand washing. Her first book, “The Adventures of Blu Pigtails: The Invisible Germ Bug,” discusses hand washing and conveys its importance to where it is easy to understand for young children.

“I want to present hand washing in a way that younger children can understand and a way that makes it easier for parents to teach,” said Cloud. “It’s about the importance of hand washing for little ones; even when their hands don’t look dirty. It was easy to tell my daughter to wash her hands if she was eating ice cream and it was dripping down her hands. She didn’t, however, understand the need to wash them when they ‘looked’ clean.”

Published on June 30 by Fulton Books, the book comes at a time where the importance of hand washing and hygiene are accentuated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although Cloud said she started writing this book even before the pandemic.

“I actually started writing the book pre-COVID,” said Cloud. “I work at an infusion center, and we see a lot of immuno-compromised, cancer, and chemotherapy patients. I know firsthand the importance of hand hygiene and hand washing is the number one way to help keep our patients safe. You can save lives.”

Cloud says the process of writing the book was inspired by her experiences working in health care and being a mother to convey and put her feelings into writing, adding that every character in her book is someone that she knows. In contrast however, Cloud says the most difficult part was waiting for her work to be published.

“My niece is the illustrator; watching her turn my words into pictures has been amazing,” said Cloud. “The hardest part was wanting the book in my hands. Most people don’t realize that from start to finish, it can easily take up to a year for publication.”

Cloud says that “The Adventures of Blu Pigtails” is actually a series. Next will be “The Adventures of Blu Pigtails: The Case of the Missing Tooth,” which has recently been completed. What does she hope to accomplish with her book series? Cloud said that she hopes her books will create something that will stick with readers while also sending an important message.

“I hope that this little book with big meaning makes it easier for parents to help their children learn good hand hygiene,” said Cloud. “Getting kids to wash their hands at a young age is important, so hopefully it becomes a good habit. Not only are they protecting themselves but they are protecting others even if they don’t know it. Right now, there are two books, but we’ll see how far it goes.”

Cloud also advises aspiring writers who may dream of writing a book or getting something published is just to start.

“Even if it’s a little bit here and there; just write,” said Cloud. “Second, don’t wait on someone to ‘want’ your story. Do your research. There are many ways to get your book out yourself. Be patient and give yourself grace. Don’t give up, or for sure your book will never be published!”

More information on The Adventures of Blu Pigtails can be found at https://bit.ly/3W1Y7ns

The Adventures of Blu Pigtails can be purchased at https://bit.ly/3W00gQj