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Arts & Entertainment

North Druid Hills Resident Authors Children's Book

Susan Rochat has written "Mr. Robin and the Very Clever Worm," a tale about skirting death, originally written for her grandchildren.

North Druid Hills resident Susan Rochat has turned her talent for writing poetry into a children’s book, combining forces with her artist daughter Melanie Rochat, a resident of Gulf Breeze, FL, who served as her illustrator.

Entitled Mr. Robin and the Very Clever Worm, the light-hearted tale in verse about skillfully skirting death was originally written for the author’s grandchildren, but since it became a family project, mother and daughter decided to expand their audience.

Rochat immigrated with her original family from India years ago and was trained as a nurse. She and her husband Roger, a doctor currently working in public health education, raised three children together and are now grandparents to four. Rochat has written poetry for decades and has been encouraged by friends to publish her work. In reading simple children’s books to her grandchildren, she said to herself, "I can do this!" and so began her journey as an author.

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Once the book was published, she began donating and selling her books to public and private schools and libraries and is now booked for several readings at elementary schools for family reading nights and book swaps. Her literary goals are to make the reader happy and laugh at her cheerful stories, and for the serious ones, to make them feel more connected to their maker and fellow human beings.

Teaming up with her artist daughter Melanie was a natural partnership. Working together, they created a look both appreciated. The artist felt that many children’s book illustrations are designed with flat color lacking in interest, so her usage of India ink and watercolor provided more depth and allowed for "defined lines as well as the mottling of the sky and ground."

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Melanie Rochat currently teaches at the Emerald Coast Science Center at Fort Walton Beach Landing and exhibits her work locally.

Mother and daughter plan to team up again for another story soon about a frog and dragonfly. The book is available on the amazon.com and Barnes & Noble websites and can also be purchased through the author.

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