About the Author—Nancy J. Ennis

Nancy J. Ennis was born in Lawton, OK, but has lived all over, from Baltimore, MD, to Atlanta, GA, from Church Falls, VA, to Fort Leavenworth, KS. Her father was an Army officer, and he moved the family often. She graduated from Sacramento State University in 1982 with a BA in political science, and after graduation she began teaching children ages 2-5 at Tot Town Child Development Center, Inc., in Sacramento. She eventually bought the company with her partner, Cynthia Coleman, and has been the center’s owner since 1993. Nancy currently lives in Gold River, CA, with Cynthia and their beloved beagle Hunter.

Tot Town’s philosophy is to teach children independence and self-help skills, which in turn builds a child’s confidence and self worth. Their motto is, “Don’t do for a child what a child can do for themselves.”

With this book, Nancy hopes to give parents the validation they need simply to say no. Their children will still love them. In fact, they will respect and admire them more.

About the Illustrator—Cynthia Meadows

Cynthia Meadows, a native Texan, draws and paints on anything she can find. Whether it is cartoons on the sides of her homework in elementary school, paintings as Christmas gifts, murals or faux finishes on walls, or illustrations and storyboards for advertising agencies, she has continually decorated the world. Cynthia’s desire to look inside characters is the reason she loves to illustrate children’s books, to create characters, and to give the reader a positive, often humorous, view of life.