Today I Choose Happy!, a new children’s book written by self-proclaimed “zany, life-outside-the-box” author Patti Farris of Mountainburg, is the first book in a series told through the voices of colorfully illustrated animal characters. As in real life, none of the characters are perfect, and some days can be quite rotten. But, as Patti puts it, “Smiling by choice makes the bad soon forgotten.”
Today I Choose Happy! follows the daily activities of a pig named Petunia Pickle. Petunia and her forest friends educate young readers about an amazing superpower that can turn what could have been a very bad day into the best day ever by using the superpower of choice. Petunia Pickle is one happy pig. Patti Farris is one happy storyteller. They share the same high-energy, positive thinking, and can-do determination to make the most out of each and every day.
A middle school science teacher and mother of six, Patti spent several years planning and writing a series of children’s books. After retiring from twenty-eight years as a full-time teacher in Fort Smith Public Schools and becoming a substitute at the beginning of 2020, she began to think about moving forward with the publication of her first book in the series. Each story shares a common theme of “Today I Choose.” The first book is forty-eight pages long and includes a companion curriculum to help bring the messages to life. Since publishing Today I Choose Happy! Patti has been making the rounds to schools, libraries, and bookstores, sharing the story with young audiences.
PETUNIA PICKLE
It’s story time, and Patti enters a room filled with children, beaming her friendly smile, her arms filled with interesting props to engage inquisitive minds. Promptly, she gathers her new friends around her in a circle on the floor. As an icebreaker to get everyone involved, she begins with a fun game. Next, it’s time to introduce Petunia Pickle, a star in her own mind. This leads to the story of the perky character’s fun-filled day of activities.
Throughout the reading, Patti pauses to interact with the children. She asks their opinions about a particular comment Petunia Pickle makes or whether any of them enjoy the same activities as Petunia. When introducing the cast of Petunia’s friends, she asks the group which of the characters share their own interests or personalities. The children’s contributions make for a joyful and thoughtful story time.
At the conclusion of the reading, Patti sends the children on a treasure hunt. Can they locate a particular item within the story? Those who find it are rewarded with a treat. As a final activity, she helps the children craft a special toy to take home. “This toy serves as reinforcement to remind them of just how amazing each one of them is,” says Patti.
Patti is in her element when working with kids, who she calls “young humans”. Petunia Pickle could be channeling Patti herself as she exclaims:
“I have friends that are skinny, spotted, and tall.
Friends that are furry, winged, and colorful –
I love them all!”
Ever a teacher, Patti has also included an appendix at the end of the book which provides tools for parents, grandparents, teachers, and caregivers to use when reading Petunia Pickle’s story to children. The appendix includes questions to ask about the story and suggests items children might seek during the treasure hunt.
With the goal to share her positive messages with as many children as possible, Patti has created a “Teach the Teachers” program where she trains teachers to conduct readings with their own students. She also provides a “crafts to go” package that includes everything the child needs to create their own personal toy, just like she does during her story time readings. The book and program have been such a success that local Head Start affiliates in both Crawford and Washington Counties have ordered Petunia-related materials in bulk to use in classrooms.
A LIFETIME IN THE MAKING
When asked what led Patti to venture into the world of writing books, she explains it was her childhood experiences and her desire to educate children about keys to happiness.
Growing up in a home with an alcoholic father, Patti discovered a magical portal to escape to a happy place: her imagination. She learned she could create fantasy worlds, complete with whimsical friends and fascinating locations. These imaginary worlds helped to insulate her from the brokenness of her home. These early mental forays stimulated what became a highly developed creativity.
When Patti entered elementary school, she was diagnosed with visual perception issues that caused her difficulties computing and gauging distances, at times making her awkward and uncoordinated. Being different from others can be a real challenge for anyone, especially for a child, but she explained that those experiences and how she learned to deal with them proved helpful when she began writing for children with issues of their own. The life lessons Patti learned to overcome prepared her to help others manage unexpected challenges.
To overcome her visual impediment, she was instructed to practice walking on a balance beam. Through self-discipline and hard work, she mastered her physical awkwardness and went on to excel in athletics, earning a scholarship in gymnastics at Texas A&M. Her childhood, she says, taught her the importance of taking ownership of a problem and not allowing it to control you.
After college, Patti learned many other lessons while raising her children and through nearly three decades of teaching middle school science. Eventually, she began funneling her creative imagination onto paper. Her childhood imaginary adventures transitioned into the written word. Often, Patti incorporates her life’s lessons into the stories, so the messages would be memorable.
Another major influence in Patti’s life was meeting and marrying Tommy Farris. “It was like Super Girl meeting Jungle Boy,” Patti laughs. Tommy is the yin to her yang and both are very outdoorsy people. They fill their days hiking, biking, kayaking, along with other activities – both determined to confront all of life’s obstacles as challenges.
CONSCIOUS CHOICE
Patti’s book series seeks to educate young readers about the many choices they confront each day. The value of making decisions consciously, knowing that how they respond provides a road map for their lives and how making the right choices will lead to their desired destinations.
Patti understands how emotions can override the brain’s capacity for making helpful decisions, resulting in an instinctive “fight or flight” reaction. However, she says, with training and discipline a person can override those instincts. We can learn to direct the brain to use the frontal lobe where complex, conscious decisions are made.
Patti hopes that reading and listening to her stories will help kids understand the power of conscious decision making so they’ll work at it, and with practice that it becomes second nature for children.
Recently, Patti added master seamstress Laura Altes to her team to create Petunia Pickle “stuffie” dolls. These nine-inch-tall, pink, stuffed figures quickly became a hit with children, especially since they are dressed in adorable rompers of the child’s choice, such as Razorback cheerleader uniforms.
Inspired by life’s influences, her imaginative students, loyal friends and family, Patti has developed a uniquely energizing writing style that creates a humorous, yet sensitive, approach for dealing with setbacks. She hopes that young readers will find the carefree adventures of the characters a fun read, while the subtle messages integrated within the tales inspire inner strength and a sense of self-worth, helping them cope with an often-chaotic world.
Today I Choose Happy!, Petunia Pickle stuffies, crafts to go package, and scheduled book readings can be arranged by emailing Patti at pattifarris24@gmail.com. or send a message through Facebook at “Patti Farris Books.”
