Jan Peine
Jan Peine holds a copy of her latest book, Nothing’s Too Hard for Me. Through her partnership with Cheeriodicals, Peine’s book gets shipped to children in hospitals across the country. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
Jan Peine remembers the struggle to come up with her latest book idea: three days of constant prayer and sticky notes with possible titles on every surface in her house. Just when she was ready to give up, Peine said a phrase seemed to appear in front of her eyes: “Nothing’s too hard for me.”
“I knew instantly that was the name of the book, and the rest of it just rolled down,” Peine said.
She spent all night writing the rhymes and designing the book. By the next morning, she had a dummy version of Nothing’s Too Hard for Me, a book that would find its way to children’s hospital rooms across the country.
Peine has written several children’s books and said that God has been the guiding force through all her writing, giving her the ideas and connecting her with the right people. One of those right people was Gary Parisher, the owner of Cheeriodicals, a Mt Laurel-based company that gives boxes of books, food and other gifts to hospital patients.
Parisher was the one who initially asked Peine to write a book that could be included in the children’s Cheeriodicals. That request led to the creation of Nothing’s Too Hard for Me, which Peine gives to Cheeriodicals for free. She describes it as mission work.
Published in 2013, Nothing’s Too Hard for Me features a young kangaroo taking on everything from climbing and running to a hospital stay and getting a shot. It includes other allusions to children’s hospitals, including the kangaroo’s rabbit friend, who uses crutches, and the red wagons that are common in pediatric wards. Peine said her favorite page is the illustration of the kangaroo “fighting” a stuffed dragon, which reminds her of her 10-year-old grandson, Holden.
Peine hopes the rhyming book provides comfort and smiles to both children and their parents. She’s familiar with the anxiety of long hospital stays and believes her book can bring a small amount of relief.
“It’s my way of making the world a little better, just one little sick child’s heart at a time,” Peine said. “I can’t take away people’s sorrow. I can’t make babies not have cancer or diseases, but I can do my part.”
Despite the five books under her belt, Peine said she doesn’t enjoy the writing process itself. Instead, she gains satisfaction from being obedient to the divine call in her life.
“It’s a soul thing,” Peine said. “You know, you’ve been waiting your whole life for somebody to tell you why you’re here, and suddenly, this is it.”
To learn more about Peine’s book, visit givingmeaway.com.
