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Profile - Ruby Lee the Bumble Bee
by Lucie Bouchard Antoniazzi

The recipient of the Fall 2005 Mom’s Choice Award^TM in the category of Most Outstanding Children’s Book is Ruby Lee the Bumble Bee (Bumble Bee Productions, Inc.), written by Dawn Matheson and illustrated by Pamela Barcita. Find out more about the book and its creators by visiting www.bumblebeeproductions.com.

Just For Mom recently had the pleasure of interviewing Dawn Matheson to find out just how this award-winning book came about and what Dawn and her team have planned for the future.

JFM: What inspired you to write this book?

DM: The inspiration for the storyline came from the great Mary Kay Ash (1918-2001). Born into a family of modest means, Mary Kay overcame personal loss and many professional challenges to become one of the world’s most respected women. Through her uncomplicated formula for success of putting God first, family second, and career third, she became a phenomenon in the business world. Mary Kay used the story of the bumble bee to motivate her team. She is known for the quote: "Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn’t know it so it goes on flying anyway." When I learned the story of the bumble bee, I thought it was a fitting example for everyone and especially children.

JFM: Briefly explain your experience with the elaboration of your book, working with your team (illustrators, designers, publishers, etc.)

DM: We were blessed with an incredibly talented creative team: Pamela Barcita, illustrator; Cindy Huffman, editor; Jose Barcita, designer. Every person associated with the book loved the story and believed in the project. Our relationship was one of active collaboration and the experience was extremely fulfilling.

JFM: What goal did you have in mind when developing this book? Do you feel that you have achieved that goal?

DM: My goal was two-fold: First, I wanted to glorify God by reinforcing His message of "all things are possible through Him," and I wanted to do it in a way that would appeal to people of every faith. Second, I wanted to honor the remarkable life of Mary Kay Ash and her life lessons.

JFM: What is in store for the future?

DM: We’re very excited about 2006. We’ve adjusted our business model to streamline distribution, and we’re excited about having more control in that area of the business. Several new projects are in development, including two new titles which are scheduled for release this Spring: Ruby Lee the Bumble Bee ~ A Bee of Possibility and Yesterday We Had A Hurricane. The Hurricane project is especially rewarding, as it is our first opportunity to produce someone else’s work. It’s a delightful pictorial exploration that looks at hurricanes from a child’s perspective, answering questions and explaining them in terms that young children can readily understand. Watch for it to make landfall in bookstores June 1^st (the official start of hurricane season)!

Look for Ruby Lee the Bumble Bee at www.bumblebeeproductions.com.