If A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE

I’m so happy to welcome one of my dear critique partners and writer friend to the blog today: Cindy Mackey. She’ll be sharing about her gorgeous debut book, If a Bumblebee Lands on your Toe, illustrated by Vikki Zhang and published by Yeehoo Press TODAY! (on World Bee Day!).

I’m thankful I can celebrate Cindy and her beautiful book as it comes out into the world, especially because I was able to provide comments on one of Cindy’s early drafts. Seeing how this manuscript evolved into what it is today fills my heart with joy. I hope you’ll love this book as much as I do. 🐝

A bit about If a Bumblebee Lands on your Toe:

A thoughtful tale of mindfulness and our interconnectedness with nature. 
The story delves into how we can embrace our fears and uncertainties through a deeper understanding of the creatures around us. It highlights the delicate yet profound bond we share with even the smallest beings, like a bumblebee. Through engaging narrative and stunning visuals, the book teaches children to appreciate the natural world and find peace in moments of fear.  A charming and insightful read written by Cynthia Mackey and illustrated by the award-winning illustrator Vikki Zhang, perfect for young minds learning to navigate their emotions and the environment they inhabit.

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Now on to our interview:

M. Cindy, I’m so excited to celebrate the release of your debut today. Congratulations! To get started, can you share three words you’d use to describe your book?

C.

lyrical
playful
empowering

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M. I love that selection, I can see the close connection of those words with the story. Can you tell us what inspired you to write it?

C. Several years ago, a five-year old child who I was teaching became concerned about the plight of the bumblebees. She heard they were disappearing. I was impressed by her awareness of the issue. It brought me back to my own childhood fear of bees, and I wanted to write a book to tackle that conflict. The conflict of not wanting to be stung, but knowing that we are interdependent and that bumblebees need saving, and should be protected. Clearly, we need to find a way to live alongside bees, because of their role as pollinators. Without them, there would be a lot of things we couldn’t eat. Many years later, another of my students around the same age had a bumblebee land on his ankle during a picnic snack in the woods. His reaction was so stoic even though he was afraid it might sting, and that moment stayed with me and helped me finish writing the story.

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M. I love it when writers can pull from their experiences or those around them to inspire stories. How wonderful that for you it was two small kids. What was your favorite scene to write in the story?

C. I loved writing the dancing scene near the end of the book. Partly because I love dancing and partly because I love that feeling of overcoming fear. It’s so difficult leading up to that point, struggling with fear. The fear always seems so big and that fight, flight or freeze response is so strong, but it is so empowering to get beyond your fear. It felt empowering for me to write that into the ending of the book.

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M. Can you share if you used any mentor texts for the story and how you used them?

C. Using mentor texts helped me get the emotions of fear and anxiety to come through clearly in the story. The books I used were Dan Santat’s AFTER THE FALL and Gaia Cornwall’s JABARI JUMPS. Both are about overcoming fear, but in a different way from IF A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE because my story is more about when something happens that is out of your control but with each of these books, the actions the main characters take are within their control. Humpty Dumpty and Jabari can decide when to face (or not face) their fears. Still, the central emotion is the same. I looked at all the places where the emotion of fear was communicated to the reader. I asked myself, how does the reader know the main character is afraid? It helped me to see how I could show that better in my book.

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M. That’s so interesting, thanks for sharing! This is a great example of the importance of using mentor texts as a writing resource. Finally, Cindy, what message are you hoping readers will take away from your story?

C. I hope that readers will see how connected we are with nature, whether we realize it or not, we have a lot in common with animals, birds, and insects. There is power in knowing and feeling our connectedness and I hope that the book will make readers more curious about the natural world. Having a curious mind is part of what helps us overcome anxiety. I’m so grateful to have Vikki Zhang as the illustrator because I believe her detailed illustrations and unique perspective bring a greater dimension to the book, giving the reader new things to discover each time, in the same way a walk in nature gives a person new things to discover.
There is so much in this world that is out of our control and because of that, it is easy to let fear of what could go wrong play too much of a role in our lives. As Elizabeth Gilbert says in her book, Creative Living Beyond Fear, “Fear can have a seat in the car, but it cannot be allowed to drive.” Yes, fear is there, but it is important to learn when fear is keeping us safe and when fear is stopping us from doing something we might enjoy. For some, fear can stop us from doing all sorts of things that could be safe or maybe lead to something new and better; inviting a friend for coffee, going on a hike, or swimming in the ocean. For some, fear is what keeps them from going outdoors and enjoying the natural world. But that natural world connection is critical for us, because it allows us to see the beauty of nature and to take care of the Earth that in turn, sustains our lives. In my mind, love and connection are what life is all about.

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Cindy, it’s been a pleasure to chat with you and learn more about how your book came to be. Thanks so much for sharing with us and again congratulations on your book birthday. I wish you a lot of success. Enjoy every minute of this wonderful experience! Cheers, my friend!

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CINDY’S BIO

Cynthia Mackey is the author of Katie Shaeffer Pancake Maker and The Lullaby Monsters and her poetry appears in The Toy, The Dirigible Balloon and Little Thoughts Press, Hit the Road magazine. Her debut picture book, If a Bumblebee Lands on Your Toe is set for publication with Yeehoo Press in 2025. Her next picture book, Butterfly Sea is forthcoming with Tielmour Press. She was mentored by highly acclaimed Canadian author, Jean E. Pendziwol. With a Bachelor of Education degree, Cynthia views children as capable beings and works to bring elements of joy, playfulness, and social-emotional learning to her writing. For more information, visit her website at www.booksbycindy.com

Website: https://booksbycindy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mackey_cynthia/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/booksbycindy.bsky.social

Order a book here!

DIGITAL TEACHERS GUIDE available with proof of purchase of the book. Please contact Cindy here.

Thanks for reading!

M

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📸 Cover photo by Miriam Fischer.