Butler grad pens, illustrates children’s book on year-round behavior
Mary Ann (O’Grady) Rieger began thinking about the marketing of Elf on the Shelf and the toy’s requirement for children to mind their behavior until Santa Claus makes his visit and deposits the good under the tree.
“I thought why is it only in December that these kids are starting to behave? How about all year ‘round?” said Rieger, who is a 1988 Butler Senior High graduate now living in Ross Township, Allegheny County.
She also has friends and acquaintances who are not a fan of the long-limbed elf and his message.
So Rieger decided to do something about it.
“What if there was a reindeer that came all year ‘round and children were good because they were doing it themselves instead of waiting to be rewarded?” she said. “That sat in my brain for a while.”
Eventually, Rieger put the story together in her mind, and the result was “Random Reindeer Makes a Plan.”
The children’s book was published through Amazon, where it can be purchased for $13.07.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Rieger took an online class to learn pattern design for her hobby of quilting, and the class included becoming proficient at the Adobe Illustrator program.
Learning the program allowed her to provide the illustrations for the book as well as the text.
“Anyone can write a book, but most people pay an illustrator, and that can get very expensive,” Rieger said.
She said the book tells the tale of Random Reindeer, who needs to make another plan for himself once he finds out all positions are filled on the holiday reindeer team.
Random decides to travel the globe all year instead of on just one night, and to figure out the details along the way.
Random’s journey ends up teaching him the meaning and importance of kindness via an army of ants operating a marina where he stops to fuel up his boat.
The book suggests children leave notes to thank those who have been kind to them “to make their hearts smile.”
Riemer said the process of writing, illustrating and publishing a book was fun and educational.
“It was a lot of learning as I went,” she said. “It felt like I ran a marathon when I was done.”
She credits her friends from Butler High for supporting her potential plan to write a children’s book, an idea she shared last year at her 35th class reunion.
“They were like ‘Do it!’” she said. “They really encouraged me, my classmates.”
“Random Reindeer Makes a Plan,” which is aimed at children 4 to 12 years old, went on sale in October. Rieger does not know how many copies have sold.
She said a friend who is a second-grade teacher used the book in her classroom to create incentive charts for students that are based on values.
The chart includes areas to record if the child is being kind, patient, responsible, helpful or thoughtful.
“For example, if a child is kind, they get a note from Random,” Rieger said.
Once a child receives notes in all five values, they receive trading cards with a character from the book.
The cards are used to write a story, draw a picture or make up a game with friends, Riemer said.
She said her teacher friend reported that her students are fans of Random Reindeer.
“The kids really like it because it’s not a Disney character, it’s just something different,” Riemer said.
She encourages anyone who has considered writing a book to go for it, as she believes in encouraging creativity.
“If I can do it, you can do it,” Riemer said.
