An adorable Yorkie named Pepper trotted around her Brookline apartment. Her mom was out, and her aunt was taking care of her. She played with her toys, got lots of pets and tucked herself under a warm blanket.
Unbeknownst to her, panic ensued as her aunt frantically searched for her, worried she was lost and wandering the streets. When her aunt sat down on the couch, she felt a rustle and pulled up the blanket to reveal a cozy Pepper.
Author Jamie Michalak was that dog aunt and her anxiety-inducing experience inspired her new picture book “Hazel the Handful.” In fact, she wrote a full draft while taking care of Pepper that day.
“Hazel the Handful,” published by Candlewick Press and illustrated by Matt Myers, was published in April.
Michalak, a children’s book author now based in Rhode Island who grew up in Springfield, returned to Massachusetts to host a reading and book signing at Brookline Booksmith on May 4. A cheerful Pepper was also in attendance.
Wearing a green dress patterned with white dogs, Michalak told an audience of all ages about her inspiration. She explained that she took an anthropological approach while taking care of Pepper, noting everything including her favorite toys like a lobster that made its way into the book.
She showed a photo of Pepper looking up from under the blanket on that fateful day. Pepper gazed up at her with curiosity.
“Basically, she demanded I tell her a story,” Michalak said.
“Hazel the Handful” follows a dog named Hazel who lives a pampered life with her family. She does everything with her favorite person Bea, but that all changes when a new baby moves in. She suddenly isn’t the center of attention and runs off to hide. Her family promptly notices her absence and searches for her. When they reunite, Hazel learns how much they still love her.
Michalak has a dog at home named Lucy and said she felt guilty not centering her in the book. However, Lucy is more mellow – not a good fit for the character.
“ Pepper just has a lot of sassiness and like in the book, she’ll bark a great game, even though she’s six pounds,” she said. “She just has a very colorful personality.”
Michalak is a former editor at Dutton Children’s Books and Candlewick Press. Becoming an author felt unattainable until she learned more about the process and realized that books aren’t immediately perfect. They require revision and many hands to get to the finished product.
“ When I started editing, I rediscovered all my old favorite books from childhood and realized how much they meant to me,” she said.
This reintroduction inspired her to become a writer. She has written board books, early readers and picture books about cute animals and even a hot dog and a bean in “Frank and Bean.”
“ The first draft I always write for me and thinking back to what I liked when I was a kid,” she said. “But then when I revise it, I think of the audience, and I don’t like to make my books messagey at all, but I like them to have heart in something that resonates with young kids.”
Jana Young, Pepper’s mom and Michalak’s cousin, said she grew up writing with Michalak, so the Brookline appearance was a special moment for her.
”It was so sweet that she took an experience from my life and my house to put into her book and bring it to life,” she said. “It’s been a sweet little whirlwind and a nice celebration of our puppy who we love so much.”
As for Pepper, Young said she would likely “expect nothing less” than a book revolving around her story.
After sitting down to read “Hazel the Handful” with friends and family, Michalak wanted children to learn that “ they are unconditionally loved. The more people in the family, the more love exists. So it’s an adjustment, but in the end, a good thing.”