Inspiration and encouragement for your own personal journey of awakening …
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Moi, in 2013 in Uruguay
I’m Susan Joyce, an author, artist, and perpetual dreamer.
At age 20, I left the United States to see the world. I planned a one-year adventure, but ended up living my 20s and 30s in Europe and the Middle East. As a Jill of all trades, I worked as a secretary, freelance travel writer, taught computer classes, wrote songs, became an accomplished artist, and an award-winning author and editor of children’s books.
I’ve lived in interesting places during interesting times, including divided Germany, Israel, and Cyprus during the Turkish invasion (which adventures I describe in The Lullaby Illusion), England, Belgium, and Switzerland. My home has been tranquilo Uruguay since 2009, after several years in anything-but-tranquilo Mexico.
After my first venture into children’s books with Peel, the Extraordinary Elephant which Doug (whom I met at the end of The Lullaby Illusion) illustrated, we moved back to the United States in 1986, formed a publishing company. We became an overnight success — twelve years later. I wrote several ABC Riddle books, and edited the rest of that series.
I also edited the Draw Series, the 1-2-3 Draw Series, and the Draw Plus series. With the advent of ebooks and print-on-demand, I’ve re-edited almost everything, and have been amazed at our increased knowledge and attention to detail. Another journey!
My travel memoir of a twelve year period of my life—The Lullaby Illusion: A Journey of Awakening has led me to a wonderful Facebook group which I recommend: We Love Memoirs. Of course I also recommend the book!
My name is [BG], writing to you from the Texas Hill Country to tell you how much your book, Peel the Extraordinary Elephant, meant to me as a child. When I was about six years old, in the mid-80s, you visited my elementary school in Zweibrücken, Germany, and read your book to us. I still have it! It was one of my favorite and first books. The song from the book is playing in my head right now!
Your book really kicked off in me a love of reading, learning, and an affinity for life’s many adventures. I didn’t have an easy childhood, one often marked by abuse and neglect. And I had trouble making good friends sometimes, because I am both autistic and shy!
Hopefully this is a compliment, but I practically befriended my books, and Peel and I have been on so many adventures together, we are old, dear friends. lol.
Thank you so much for this wonderful gift. I really just wanted you to know what a difference your work made to me.
With much gratitude,
May 3, 2023
Ms. Joyce,
In 1989, I was a student (either first or second grade) at Fuller Elementary School in Chowchilla, California (a small farming community in California’s Central Valley). If my memory serves me correctly, you came to our school to share your book, Peel, The Extraordinary Elephant, and I seem to remember you even reading the book to our school during an assembly (although childhood memories can be so fleetingly hard to be certain of).
Afterwards, my grandmother (who was a teacher’s assistant at the school, helping English as a second language children) purchased a copy of your book for me, and you signed and wrote a very thoughtful inscription inside the front cover.
After that, I remember that your book was a favorite for me and my grandmother, and we would often sing Peel’s song on our long afternoons together over the summer, when she was my primary caregiver.
This last weekend, while cleaning out their garage, my parents came across a box of my old children’s books and when they found your book my mother remembered how treasured it was (my first signed book!) and brought it to me.
As you’ve probably surmised from the tone of this email, Grandma passed nearly 10 years ago, and that loss is something I still struggle with at times. She was the first best friend I had in life.
This evening I read your book to my 2-1/2 year old son, and for just a moment, Grandma was there with me and with the great grandson she never met. Especially touching was the last chapter, where Peel reunites with Camille after a number of years and tells her of all his adventures.
I wrote all this to say thank you for sharing your book and for the memories. I’m sure you get emails like this all the time, but I nonetheless wanted to share my story and say thank you.
