Photo by Erica Techo.
dawn reeves
Highland Lakes resident Dawn Reeves published her book, “I Do Not Eat Brussel Sprouts,” last year.
Whenever she told the story of rolling uneaten Brussels sprouts under her neighbor’s furniture, people said it would make a great book. And in 2015, Dawn Reeves took their word for it.
Reeves, a Highland Lakes resident, turned her childhood hatred for the miniature cabbages into the children’s book, “I Do Not Eat Brussel Sprouts.”
“It’s actually a true story, and the Tawillingers were our neighbors who lived next door to us in Indiana,” Reeves said.
The book was written and illustrated by Reeves, who describes herself as a lifelong writer. While she has had work published before, this was the first time she could produce the artwork to accompany her words. The chance to enter a child-like mindset for the illustrations was one of her favorite parts, she said.
The text of the story, however, is not what someone would expect in a children’s book.
“It’s funny, one of the first people to read this book got something that was very important to me, and that was the strategic use of some large words,” Reeves said.
As she wrote the book, Reeves said she felt it was important to includes words such as “debilitating” and “emphatically” to build her readers’ vocabularies. She would rather overestimate her reader’s ability than underestimate it, she said.
“I didn’t want to dumb the book down because it was children reading it,” she said. “It also encourages further conversation between the reader and their parents.”
Bedtime stories were one way she helped invoke creativity in her own daughter, who is now 15 years old. Throughout her childhood, they transitioned from reading stories to making up stories based on a few characters or items.
“It’s nice to know that stories don’t have to come from somewhere,” Reeves said. “They can come from anywhere.”
She hopes her book will have a similar impact on young book lovers. Since publishing the story, she has held readings at schools in Shelby County and said students have connected through a mutual dislike of vegetables.
“Children have loved the story, and it’s so funny because they respond with ‘I don’t like Brussels sprouts either,’” Reeves said. “After I read the book, that’s the only time I confess the fact that I absolutely love Brussels sprouts as an adult.”
Passing along a love of books and vegetables are two of her goals, Reeves said, but the book presents opportunities to discuss other habits as well.
During her readings, Reeves said she discusses the importance of Southern graces and table manners as well, noting not everyone should roll uneaten vegetables off of their plate like the main character does.
Reeves hopes the number of events she has will increase over the summer, she said, which will also give a greater chance to give back. At each school, Reeves will bring books to sell, and 30 percent of the profits go back to that school’s library.
Funding is moving away from school libraries, Reeves said, and she wants to make sure students continue to have access to books.
“I am a firm believer that we do not have to leave books behind,” she said. “I still have my childhood books. My mom tells me to let them go, and I always say, ‘No!’”
For a schedule of Reeve’s upcoming readings of “I Do Not Eat Brussel Sprouts,” visit 280living.com.
