Therese Lynch

As a speech-language pathologist, I have had the unique opportunity to use picture books and literacy to help children meet their goals for decades. Linguistic concepts and vocabulary are always at the forefront of my mind when preparing lessons involving children’s books. Making the leap to an author felt instinctual. The trick was to not seem overly didactic or “preachy” – kids can smell a lesson from a mile away, so I tried to create an educational and thoughtful book that just felt fun.

As a lover of small creatures, Fergus and his entire personality came to me first: an adorable, somewhat misunderstood critter wearing old timey clothes! Soon after, I realized he looked like a classic golfer, and the title A Mole in One was created. I soon learned that although junior golf has exploded in recent years, very few golf books were available in the world of children’s literature. Having three sons who enjoyed the game, but did not see the sport represented in creative ways, inspired me to write about one tiny and determined golf fanatic. Lastly, the message of perseverance was the most important motivator. Fergus is passionate about a sport that doesn’t necessarily fit his physical skills, but that doesn’t stop him from trying.

Yes, Fergus’s path from beginning to end deliberately follows the classic hero’s journey and thank you for noticing! Fergus’s arc, the rule of three with respect to tests and dialogue, Frances the fox as Mentor, etc. were all carefully crafted choices for the story. As I’ve often said about this little mole, “Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear argyle.”

My experience as a pediatric therapist has shaped my writing in so many ways. As an SLP, I’ve created thousands of lessons with well-hidden linguistic goals. As a parent, I wanted to create something that would be motivating for the child (and parents) to explore and to question while reading again and again. Also, working with toddlers and the earlier grades has helped me to know what’s funny to young kids, and what is not. I mean, who doesn’t chuckle at a naked mole rat? And the nuggets of more advanced language and personal hurdles in A Mole in One targeted the older children. For example, the way that Fergus learns to accept his strengths to find his place in a very challenging sport is relatable to any young person who’s ever tried something and realized that they were not at the level of the competition.

Look, we’ve all failed at something. We’ve all needed to decide whether it was worth it to “dig deep” or move on from it. Fergus loves the game of golf, but Fergus is approximately 4” tall. This presents a real challenge. At the risk of embarrassing my entire family, I will acknowledge that there are no giants in my house, and yet, we all love and play sports, some at very high levels. It felt important to me to let children in on the secret that doing something at the “elite” level doesn’t define you. A Mole in One is not just about golf or for kids who play golf. It should resonate with all children, since almost every child has tried something with little success. What I’d like them to know is that it is not all or nothing. You can play your sport (or bang your drums or throw your clay pot) without being a superstar. If you enjoy it…DO IT. Dig deep to find your passion, your talent, and pursue it. If you succeed beyond your wildest dreams, good for you! If you work as hard as you can and you end up on Junior Varsity, or don’t make the team at all…still good for you! And don’t forget, it’s supposed to be fun.

Golf is very challenging and requires an extraordinary level of passion and perseverance. Being athletic does not automatically make you a great golfer (I’ve learned this the hard way). Although Fergus pivoted a bit and discovered his talents were suited for a different side of the game, the golf course was still a wonderful metaphor for determination and fortitude. I’ve received dozens of messages from families of junior golfers worldwide who were thrilled to see their sport portrayed in such a fun and engaging way. Golf is certainly not just for older men anymore, and I’m happy to represent these incredible kids who are giving it a try.

For me, the challenge was making sure I used the “Show Don’t Tell” technique as much as possible. Trusting that the visuals would convey the nuances of the scene, the emotions of the characters, and the intended humor was a hard lesson. Likewise, I’m also still figuring out how to limit my word count…not easy as an SLP! An editor had to remind me to “kill my darlings” more than once. Only the essentials stayed on the page.

Oh, the illustrations…I must brag about Xiao, the illustrator. Having her bring my ideas to life was like winning the lottery. I remember stalking and swooning over her social media pages for weeks before hearing that she was on board with A Mole in One. Her style caught my eye instantly, and once we started corresponding, I was completely confident that this would be a perfect collaboration. She lives in the UK, so timing of emails and messaging was a consideration, but the way she used her mastery to illustrate this story was worth any logistical hurdles. Xiao asked my opinion on every illustration and requested to change a few things on her own, which I wholeheartedly appreciated. For example, Papa Mole was originally sitting in his chair reading a newspaper while Mama Mole worked on dinner with the kids underfoot. Obviously, I wasn’t trying to portray an old-fashioned stereotype of masculine and feminine roles, but Xiao pointed out that we could do something fresher and more relevant with this scene. I came up with Papa building a warm, cozy fire for the family, and Xiao illustrated it in the most authentic and loving way. It became one of my favorite illustrations in the entire book.

I think the story of Fergus resonates with anyone who is misunderstood. He is clearly different from the rest of his family. Fergus not only has zero interest in digging up the course; he wants to play this niche sport that, let’s be honest…moles are too small to play. Like all children, he gets discouraged, but with help from a good friend, he’s not defeated. All of this is relatable to the child (or adult) who doesn’t quite follow the traditional path. The world needs more dreamers like Fergus, don’t you think?

A Mole in One supports language development by introducing several concepts, such as, making inferences and predictions (e.g., “If he gets caught, what will happen to him?”), and a richness of vocabulary (“persist” “dastardly,” etc.). Little crumbs of alliteration (Frances Fox), onomatopoeia (“BOINNGG!”), and interspersed rhyme (“...the HOLES have MOLES!”) keep the younger readers engaged. Emotional growth is always important to me as a mother and someone who works with small humans every day. Children want to see themselves in the story and relate. Fergus is about the age of a first grader, with older twin brothers. He feels a bit left out of their world and the world of other moles. His emotions get heated when he is frustrated with his (lack of) skill at golf and with being teased. These are all relatable scenarios to a young child. As the story unfolds, and he is appreciated, Fergus evolves, becoming more controlled, more grounded in his purpose. I hope the story helps readers not only to discover strength when challenged, but also to build a sense of empathy and understanding for those who may not have the same abilities or interests as their own. Kindness goes a long way in A Mole in One.

The feedback for this book has been overwhelming. Having parents reach out to let me know that their child loved the story and brought it to their school, or shared it with their grandparents, has been the reward I didn’t know I needed. Meeting and interacting with families at in-person events has been a complete pleasure and reading to wide-eyed school children never gets old! Unfortunately, for years, I let my insecurities overtake my desire to publish. The idea of writing a children’s book has taken hold of me since my own childhood, but life and doubts certainly get in the way. Although I knew I was a good writer and have always had a natural connection to children, it was daunting as heck as a first-time author putting yourself in the world with total vulnerability. Getting an enormous amount of positive feedback should not be the end goal, but it certainly helped to solidify that I made the right choice in bringing my story to life.

Funny you should ask! I literally just finished the latest draft of the sequel to A Mole in One, and Xiao and I are beginning to collaborate on the characters. Obviously, everyone’s favorite mole is back, as is his golfer hero and the lovely Francis Fox, but you can expect some new settings and situations… and a bit more peril for the little guy. Most importantly, prepare for otters: crazy, cute otters. That’s all I can say right now.

Although I fully hope that A Mole in One is used in school settings and for the promotion of literacy, I purposely stayed away from making it a “speech book.” The world has an abundance of excellent sound specific or targeted concept books (“Opposites!”); however, this is more of a classic illustrated story. You won’t find it loaded with /s/ blends or strategically placed prepositional phrases, but it certainly has multiple linguistic concepts and tools to promote critical thinking and vocabulary and can easily be used for lessons in PreK-Grade 5.

Do what you love! Don’t worry about the result. Forget about comparing yourself to others. And most importantly, find your own place in the world of ______ (golf, juggling, playing the digeridoo, donut eating contests). Just like Fergus, your talents might take you where you least expect.

AllAuthor was suggested to me by an earlier cover winner. Because I have the utmost respect and pride for the book’s illustrations, I entered the contest and won! Since then, I’ve come to know and appreciate AllAuthor and the invaluable services it provides to authors. My book has received way more exposure than I could have provided on my own, and I love all the playful banners AllAuthor has created for A Mole in One. Thank you!