There's nothing more cozy than a bowl of grandma's soup.
A local woman's found a recipe for success in capturing that feeling with her new children's book.
Josée Lavoie recently released A Day at Nanny and Eddy's. Originally from Timmins and now living in Ottawa, Lavoie will be back home next week for the local launch of the book on Saturday, May 13 at 2 p.m. at the Timmins Public Library.
“The story’s inspired by my grandparents that still live in Moonbeam today. It’s a story about how the little girl comes together with her grandparents to make a yummy soup that they can all eat together at the end of the book,” she said.
The book starts with the girl going to Eddy's garden before heading to the kitchen with nanny, where the soup is cooked up before they all sit down to eat together.
Lavoie was born and raised in Timmins. Most of her elementary school career was at École catholique St-Dominque before heading to École catholique secondaire Thériault. She moved to Ottawa to study graphic design and has been working at a marketing agency since graduating from the course.
On the side, she's been focusing on illustrations and graphic design.
"I’ve always had the dream to create children’s books but I never thought it would be possible and then when I started thinking I’m just going to take it seriously and see where it goes, I realized that I could make a children’s book myself and self-publish it as well. It’s been a really fun process, a really fun journey,” she said.
Having a close connection with Nanny, she's always wanted to make a book about her home "because like many grandmother’s homes, it’s very warm, it’s very cozy."
The second book idea she had was about Eddy's garden, where she remembers picking carrots as a kid.
"Then I had the idea of merging both of those stories together because they do live together so instead of separating their stories I thought why can’t I have a story about Eddy’s garden and then taking the fresh vegetables to then create nanny’s famous soup. That’s where the idea came from,” she said.
Over the last year, her grandparents' health has declined and she felt a sense of urgency.
"I have so many ideas in my head, but I was like this one needs to be done first because I want them to be able to see. Because they had no idea that I was doing this until the day that I gave them the book in hand,” she said.
Last Thanksgiving was the big book reveal.
Because Lavoie does so many heartfelt projects, she said they were surprised but she doesn't know what level it registered at.
"I first handed it to Nanny and Eddy was sitting across from her in the garage because that’s where they hang out and she sees the book and all of us are prepared to cry because it’s going to be very emotional. Her first reaction, she takes the book out of the gift bag — there’s a little cry in her voice and she says, ‘She made a book about us.’ Everyone started crying, as soon as she said that. She was flipping every page and she would show Eddy across the room, look at this page, look at you in the garden,” Lavoie recalled.
“It was really sweet. She definitely made us cry.”
A Day at Nanny and Eddy's is available in French and English. You can buy it online from Amazon or Indigo.
Lavoie will also have books on hand to buy in-person for the Timmins launch.
