Mom’s Choice Awards is excited to announce another post in our interview series where we chat with the inventors, designers, publishers, and others behind some of our favorite family-friendly products.

Welcome, Mom’s Choice Awards readers! Today we have Win Pound, author of the MCA award-winning The Christmas Boy. This sweet tale holds an important lesson about showing kindness and compassion to others. Win is quick to say he’s a surgeon, not a writer, but this story resonates strongly with preschoolers, elementary-school children, parents, and educators alike. In its pages, young readers learn a very important lesson about sharing—and that sometimes they have to see life through the eyes of another to fully appreciate the blessings in their own lives.

MCA: Win, we’re delighted to have you with us today. Would you tell us something about yourself?

I was born in Atlanta, Georgia. I am the fifth generation doctor in my family and the son of a plastic surgeon. I joined my father in plastic surgery in 1990. I have been on 20 surgical trips to Central and South America to operate on children with cleft lips, cleft palates, burns, and other deformities. My wife and I have been married for 40 years. We have four children and three grandchildren. My hobby is playing sand volleyball.

MCA: Since you’ve had a lengthy career as a surgeon, could you tell us what inspired you to write a children’s book? And did you come up with the idea in time to share with your children?

On my surgical trips abroad with Healing the Children, I often wished my children could go with me to see how the rest of the world lived and how blessed their own lives were in comparison. I couldn’t take them on trips with me, but that thought inspired me to write The Christmas Boy. Essentially, since I couldn’t take my kids with me to another country, I brought another country to them via The Christmas Boy.

Occasionally I would “discover” it from time to time over the years and show it to someone. They would encourage me to illustrate and publish it but I didn’t know anything about how to do that so I simply put it back in the drawer until the next time.

It just came to me as a bolt from the blue and I wrote it down. Most things that I write happen that way. I wrote the book 25 years ago, but it languished in a drawer until recently when I finally had it published.

MCA: We’re glad it finally got into the hands of young readers. What do you hope they will take away from your book?

Appreciate what you have in life and always be kind and generous to others. You never know what their life might be like.

MCA: How would you say The Christmas Boy contributes to promoting family-friendly values and enhancing the lives of your readers?

I think it encourages people to appreciate their own lives by seeing it through the perspective of others.

MCA: Can you share any memorable moments or feedback from readers that have touched you—or reinforced the impact of your work?

I have had readers tell me that my book was very sweet and that they actually cried when they read it. It was nice to hear that it had that emotional impact on them.

MCA: Very nice, indeed! Have you found the time to do any other kinds of writing?

I write mostly short stories and poetry that come to me in a flash. I have tried writing a novel but it is hard to keep that inspiration going for an extended length of time.

MCA: Is it possible that your plans might include another writing project?

I wrote a full-length adult level book about four years ago but it has been sitting in my desk drawer. Perhaps I will get back to that one someday and polish it up.  I like writing but getting something published is VERY hard. So, I write primarily for my own enjoyment.

MCA: We’re so glad you finally dusted off your book and made it available to today’s children. And thanks again for being here with us today!

You can learn more about Win Pound and his award-winning book, The Christmas Boy, by visiting his MCA Shop page.