Librarian’s daughter inspires her to write, publish her first book
CINCINNATI (WXIX) – A Tri-State librarian is now adding author to her title after writing her first children’s book.
Morgan Coleman wrote, “This Cat is Fat, and I’m Fine with That.” She not only wrote it, but was also the illustrator and publisher.
Coleman says her daughter was the inspiration behind the body-positive picture book.
Storytime is the best time for Coleman, whether she’s reading to the children at the library or to her daughter.
She says she’s always loved books and writing, but never planned on being an author until her daughter was born.
“I knew that I wanted my little girl to be able to hold a book of mine in her hands and to be able to think of her mom as being an author before she was too old to care,” says Coleman. “One day I was just staring at her, and this little rhyme came into my head that was about her.”
Coleman says one of her daughter’s favorite places is the Covington Cat Cafe, which her brother owns.
So, she chose that location as the setting of the book that tells the story of a girl who adopts a cat that others are critical of because of the animal’s chunky stature.
“She hears some taunts at her cat and she’s feeling really down and wondering what’s wrong and says, ‘Who cares that he’s big?’” Coleman says of the book. “Then she has a moment where she realizes that it doesn’t really matter what anyone says. Their love is the only thing that matters.”
Growing up during a time when the influence of social media can breed self-consciousness, Coleman says she wanted the message of her book to be centered around body positivity.
The writing came easily, she says.
The words just flowed onto the page, but she took it a step further, illustrating all the pictures in the book as well.
Being a first-time author, Coleman worried about a publisher picking it up, so she decided to publish the book herself, creating her own publishing company, City Grove Press.
Coleman says she’s still amazed how it all came together.
“I remember the day that they delivered the books,” Coleman says. “It was this massive pile of boxes and thinking like, wow, I really did this. Then my favorite part was taking it home and then having my daughter on my lap for story time at night and being like, this is mommy’s book. So, now all the time she’s like Oh yeah, mommy’s cat book. So yeah, it was a dream come true.”
Coleman plans to continue living out that dream with more books to come while also helping other authors pursue their dreams of having their books printed through her publishing company.
Coleman is currently working on adding her book to Amazon.
“This Cat is Fat, and I’m Fine with That” is currently being sold at several local bookstores and the Perfect Day Cat Cafe.
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