Creating Stories and Learning to Moo

Dee Dolan’s writing once centered on the weighty issues of the day as an editorial writer for The Frederick News-Post. Now, the conflicts she examines through her words are of a little boy, Boo, who “wanted to moo like his favorite animal, cow, could do,” and a tiny tot of a girl, Cinnamon Hinneman, who learns the hard way that a fancy dress and purse are not the best choices when exploring under rocks or splashing in mud puddles.

Writing stories for children isn’t new for Dolan, a grandmother whose Boo book is dedicated to grandson, Gus, but the circle of readers was small—until she talked to her friend, Helen Dixon, a former Frederick resident and fellow grandmother now living in North Carolina, who was inspired to illustrate the books.

“We were standing in Meta’s kitchen, where all good things start,” Dixon says, referring to their mutual friend, Meta Nash. “I was blown away” by Dee’s writing. “She’s so talented,” Dixon says, jumping at the chance to collaborate. She describes her artistic style as “color and imagination,” with the book filled with brilliant hues like a fresh box of crayons. 

Boo Learns to Moo, available on Amazon, was released earlier this summer and Dolan says, “The response has been so beautiful.” Cinnamon Hinneman will be out shortly and the two women are also planning a book of poetry called Poem Home. Proceeds from sales will be donated to children’s literacy initiatives.