The Wilson Post
LEBANON WEATHER

Amy Parker books put kiddos at ease at beddy-bye


A good night in the jungle


Bestselling children’s author Amy Parker, a 1994 Watertown High School graduate, debuts “Night Night, Jungle,” 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, at the Rainforest Café at Opry Mills in Nashville. “Jungle” is the eighth in her series of “Night Night” books. “All of the books are simple, sweet prayers of gratitude for the amazing world we live in,” said Parker, who has sold more than 1.5 million books.  Ken Beck

Bestselling children’s author Amy Parker, a 1994 Watertown High School graduate, debuts “Night Night, Jungle,” 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, at the Rainforest Café at Opry Mills in Nashville. “Jungle” is the eighth in her series of “Night Night” books. “All of the books are simple, sweet prayers of gratitude for the amazing world we live in,” said Parker, who has sold more than 1.5 million books.  Ken Beck

It’s a jungle out there, and for bestselling children’s author Amy Parker and her bedtime readers, that’s a good thing.

More personally, for Parker, a true believer, it’s a God thing.

“It’s really fun when a new book lands on my doorstep, but the best part is seeing how kids interact or having a mom tell me, ‘My child says ‘night night, God’ every night,’” said Parker last week over pecan pie, cupcakes and coffee at Depot Junction Restaurant in Watertown, where she graduated from high school in 1994.

Parker, who lives in Murfreesboro with her husband and two sons, has written more than 50 books and sold over 1.5 million copies. She will celebrate the debut of “Night Night, Jungle,” the eighth in her series of “Night Night” books, 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, at the Rainforest Café at Opry Mills in Nashville and will read from her book at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m.

‘Jungle’ highlights facts, artist

“For ‘Jungle,’ we researched rainforest animals—their habitats and their behaviors—and then tried to put as many of those details as possible into a cozy, rhyming ‘Night Night’ book. So, while little ones are being lulled to sleep in the jungle, they’re also learning about the true nature of the rainforest itself,” she said.

Amy Parker shares one of her “Night Night” books with Brittany Hudson, left, and her 10-month-old daughter, Brooke, at Depot Junction Restaurant in Watertown. Brittany’s late grandmother, Lois Huffines, made Parker’s childhood birthday cakes as well as her wedding cake. As a teenager, Parker worked as server in the Watertown eatery.Ken Beck

Amy Parker shares one of her “Night Night” books with Brittany Hudson, left, and her 10-month-old daughter, Brooke, at Depot Junction Restaurant in Watertown. Brittany’s late grandmother, Lois Huffines, made Parker’s childhood birthday cakes as well as her wedding cake. As a teenager, Parker worked as server in the Watertown eatery.Ken Beck

Among the creatures represented in the book are lemurs, jaguars, frogs, monkeys and parrots. The writer gives credit where credit is due as she described how important it is to have the right illustrator on her projects for tots.

“I think the illustrator is everything. When someone looks at a book on a shelf, the illustrator is who conveys to the reader the tone of the book. I owe a lot to my illustrators,” said Parker.  

About “Jungle” illustrator Virginia Allyn, who lives above a chocolate shop in a New Hampshire village, Parker said, “She’s perfect for the ‘Night Night’ books. Her illustrations are so soft and so fun. My favorite are the sloths. They’re just snuggly.”

Inspiration from home

The idea for the ‘Jungle’ book came after she joined her publishing team at Tommy Nelson for a brainstorming session.

“The idea of the ‘Night Night’ books goes with the routine of getting kids to bed. It makes it easier when we present it with something kids love like, OK, animals. We did ‘Night Night, Train’ and ‘Night Night, Farm,’ and ‘Jungle’ was just a natural extension,” said Parker, whose original inspiration for the series came late one night when she was having a tough time getting her 3-year-old son to fall asleep.

“I had exhausted all of the usual go-to-sleep methods, and I was exhausted myself. I had read our books, sung our songs, and he still would not go to sleep. So I looked up, and out the window, there were some trees swaying in the dark. I whispered, ‘Shh, the trees are sleeping.’

“I thought, even if he didn’t want to go to sleep, maybe he would be quiet so that the trees could rest. And he got quiet for a moment. Seizing that moment, I began to point out everything I could think of, ‘Shh, the birds are sleeping. . . . Shh, the sun is sleeping.’

“And as he drifted off to sleep, the verses began to flow. I jumped up and wrote a quick draft and later submitted it to Tommy Nelson, and the publisher, Laura Minchew, suggested the title, “A Night Night, Prayer.”

Rainforest Cafe a perfect fit

As for how “Night Night, Jungle” found its way into the Rainforest Café, she said that she and her marketing director were lunching at Opry Mills and trying to come up with a venue for the release party. The director suggested they check out Rainforest Café.

“We walked in, and it’s just like you’re in the jungle. There’s the soft sound of thunder and rain, and there are animals everywhere—elephants, hippos, frogs. There’s a huge fish tank in the wall. It’s just so perfect for the release of ‘Night Night, Jungle.’ We asked if they might have a party room, and once we told them what we were needing it for, she said, ‘We have a kids’ night every Wednesday night.’ And we just knew we’d found the right spot.”

A few weeks later, Parker received an email from Landry Inc, the owner of the Rainforest Café chain, asking if they could carry the book in all 21 of their restaurants, including two at Disney World and one at Disneyland.

Watertown ‘family’

Parker moved from Lebanon to Watertown just before she started kindergarten and grew up with two brothers, enjoying such idyllic childhood pleasures as riding bicycles and playing in the creek.

She noted that what she enjoyed most about her years in Wilson County’s smallest town was being a part of “the family of Watertown. The feeling continues today. Every time I come here, it’s like I’m coming home. All of my close friends, we were together for 13 years, and we felt safe here. I just grew up with this extended family of 1,600.”

After high school, she enrolled in the nursing program at Cumberland University and discovered during her first semester that English was her favorite subject, thus she transferred to Middle Tennessee State University, planning to become an English teacher.

During her junior year at MTSU, a teacher asked her if she would be interested in an internship with a publisher. So she took the gig at Tommy Nelson, an imprint of Thomas Nelson, and the company that today publishes her “Night Night” series.

Experience the best teacher

“When I got there, I completely fell in love with the publishing industry. I knew this is where I was supposed to be,” Parker recollected. “On the first day, a managing editor gave me advice about gleaning wisdom from everything. She told me, ‘Just listen, soak it up. You’ll learn more than you know.’ I took that to heart and soaked up everything.”

Graduating from MTSU in December 2000, the following September she was offered a job as an editor at Thomas Nelson in Nashville.

“As an editor, it was more of project management from beginning to end, working with author, designer, proofreaders and production,” she said. 

Among the authors she worked with were musicians Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman, Naomi Judd and Michael W. Smith, comedian Andy Andrews and animal expert/TV host Jack Hannah. “I got to see what excellence is. I got to see traits that made all these people excellent at what they do,” she said of the experience.

As for what advice she might offer those who dream of writing books for youngsters, Parker said, “Never, never, never give up. Just keep going. Because, if you’re an aspiring children’s author, that desire and aspiration was put in your head by the One who will get you there.”

Bestselling children’s author Amy Parker takes her sweet bedtime stories to the jungle when her new book, “Night Night, Jungle,” hits shelves Feb. 28. The jungle theme features illustrations of wild animals inviting children to say “night night” to each creature and to the loving God who made them. The launch party of her “Jungle” book will be held 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, at the Rainforest Café at Opry Mills in Nashville (353 Opry Mills Drive), and Parker will read from her book at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Children 10 and younger can eat for 99 cents (limit two children per purchase of an adult entrée) and will receive a free copy of the book, while supplies last. Parker also will be reading and signing “Night Night, Jungle” and other books from 1-4 p.m. Feb. 27 at Logos Christian Bookstore (4012 Hillsboro Pike) in Nashville.

Book: “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein

TV series: “The Crown”

Actors: Judi Dench and Robert Redford

Food: Her husband’s potato soup

Beverage: A good latte

Pastime: Being with family

Guilty pleasure: Watching TV

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