Children’s book by Mt Laurel friends becomes Amazon bestseller

What started out as Sally Dollar’s hobby of writing during her children’s naptimes turned into a passion, then an Amazon bestseller.

Dollar’s first book, “The Gumball Lottery: A Delicious Assortment of Rhyme,” was published in March and quickly climbed to the top of the charts. It reached No. 1 on Amazon’s new releases in Children’s Humorous Poetry and came in at No. 8 on the top 10 Best Sellers List for the category. 

“I directly attribute that to friends and family who helped spread the word, and people seemed to believe in it, too,” Dollar said. “It took off more quickly than I imagined. It was very motivating and encouraging and humbling at same time.”

Dollar, a Mt Laurel resident, gained writing experience from her time working at the Independent Appeal newspaper in Selmer, Tennessee, as a teenager and college student. She graduated with a communications degree from the University of Tennessee and got her master’s degree in counseling.

After she had children, Dollar had a rekindled passion for writing, most of which took place during their naptimes. It turned into poetry and rhymes about life lessons she wanted to teach them. In 2016, she attended a conference for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators to learn more about the publishing process. 

“It took a lot of time and energy,” she said. “The whole process took about three years. Once I started to write, it just kept growing, and the book has 61 poems that are fun and random but also have metaphorical life lessons.”

When looking for an illustrator for her project, Dollar didn’t have to look very far. Her friend of 10 years and neighbor in Mt Laurel, Rorie Scroggins, turned out to be a perfect fit. They said working on the book together deepened their friendship.

“She has taught my kids art every summer for almost five years, and I loved her work and what she did,” Dollar said. “Because she lives down the street, we would meet in each other’s kitchens and work while our kids played. I was blown away by how well our visions aligned, and that was fun to see.”

Scroggins had done illustrations for Sunny Little Corner, a curriculum used by Mt Laurel Elementary, and has also been a featured artist for Southern Living at Home. She works in Shelby County schools as a pediatric occupational therapist and is working on illustrating for two other books that include full watercolor stories.

“I have always had a love for art,” Scroggins said. “It has continued throughout my life and helped me choose my path. Because a big focus of occupational therapy is aiding children in the development of hand strength and coordination, I often disguise my therapy in art projects and crafts when I am working with my students, and they don’t even realize they are working.”

Scroggins said she was thrilled when Dollar approached her about being her illustrator and was blown away by her writing talent. 

“Sally had such a vision for each poem, and it made my job so easy,” she said. “Every poem's illustration just popped so clearly in my imagination. Illustrating this book was one of the most fun projects in my life.” 

Dollar said she chose “The Gumball Lottery” for the title because of its message that while you may not always get what you want, you may get something even better. Other poems in the book use iconic childhood symbols (like a gumball machine) as opportunities for teachable moments and some rhymes are simply just for fun. Some include inspiration from moments with her own children.

She said it’s definitely a goal to write more books, whether poetry or creative writing. 

“I’ve been overwhelmed by the support of family and friends and the community,” she said, “and that means more to me than the sales numbers.”

Find “The Gumball Lottery” on Amazon.