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 readers! Today, we’re especially pleased to have with us the wonderfully talented creative team of Connie and Callan Thornell, author and illustrator respectively of the Tinzie Jo and Brindley Series. Today they’ll discuss Book 4 in the series—Touring with Tinzie Jo and Brindley: Racing to Share Halloween Safety. This addition to a series about traveling friends—who share friendship with others on their journeys—is a powerful and timely reminder for kids to enjoy the holiday safely. Written for kids ranging from preschoolers through secondary school students and beyond, this imaginative tale shows kids how trick-or-treating can safely be part of their holiday routine.

MCA: Connie, welcome back, and Callan, we’re delighted to talk with you, as well! We’d love to know more about you both. Connie, would you start us off?

I am a lifelong educator. In 2021, I retired from teaching after 36 years in the public school system in Texas. Currently, I work as an adjunct professor in the Lone Star College System teaching early childhood courses. What a joy to be able to steer future educators along their career educational journey.

Sharing books with my former students was one of the sparks that ignited my path to begin writing the series. The main character, Tinzie Jo the Model T, is a family heirloom which has been in my husband’s family since 1960. It was then that his family restored the car, and she became part of the Thornell family. Callan and the other grandkids grew up seeing the car in their grandparents’ garage every day of their lives. In 2021, my husband Joe brought her home to be restored once again and reside with us. Thus began the adventures between Tinzie Jo and Brindley Dog.

Cruising the world of children’s books with my niece, Callan Thornell, as my co-driver has been an amazing experience. Callan is a talented artist. She uses many types of medium in her artwork. What an honor to share the adventures of Tinzie Jo and Brindley Dog with Callan. Her expertise and passion truly bring the characters to life.

MCA: And Callan, won’t you tell us something about yourself?

I am currently in my senior year at Tarleton State University in Texas. I am getting my degree in English with a teacher’s certification. While at Tarleton I competed on the women’s track and field team as a 200m and 400m runner. In addition to that, I am a student worship leader at the First Baptist church of Stephenville where I co-lead a weekly women’s Bible study group. As for hobbies, I enjoy roller skating, hanging out with my friends, reading, writing, and of course illustrating. I have been creative ever since I was little. I was always drawing. If you asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I absolutely would have said an artist. While I still love illustration, my goal has changed and I want to be a teacher and a coach.

MCA: How terrific that you’re able to collaborate on these children’s books! Callan, would you tell us what your path to becoming an illustrator was like?

I have always loved to be crafty and to draw. Ever since I was young I have been painting, coloring, and drawing. Of course I wasn’t always as good at it as I am now. I think what really drove me to continue to practice drawing was the encouragement I got from others. I don’t really think of it as my motivation, but I know if someone down the line had told me I wasn’t good at drawing I probably would have stopped trying.

My path to becoming an illustrator wasn’t so crazy. For Christmas my mother had gifted me an iPad so that I could practice digital art. It was definitely a learning curve for me because before that I had been a strictly traditional artist. After a while I got the hang of working with a digital medium and I was just constantly drawing things.

I have also always had a passion for reading and writing so I was drawing little characters and comic strips from books that I had read. My aunt Connie had known that I was fairly proficient at illustrations. When she decided to write the Touring with Tinzie Jo and Brindley books, she reached out to me to illustrate and of course I said yes.

MCA: Connie, would you share some of the key lessons found in the book?

Each book in our series teaches a lesson. In this book, the lesson from the racetrack is that knowledge is key to safety.

I also like to include hidden messages or ways for children to use their inferencing skills while enjoying the books. Throughout the Halloween story, the children will notice the racing theme is evident through different racing flags in the scenes. The characters never address the flags, so the readers must infer what each flag represents. For example, when Tinzie Jo the Model T runs into car trouble, the flag changes to one representing a pit stop of a race. At the conclusion of the story, the flag changes to the checkered flag, marking the finish line and end of the story. It is my goal as an author and educator to include many ways for children to interact with the books and the characters.

Finally, the book emphasizes the importance of using safety rules on Halloween. Our family enjoys celebrating Halloween with our family and neighborhood. Our entire neighborhood celebrates and gives candy to children of all ages who come to visit that night from our local community. With all the families walking the neighborhood and cars and trailers with children entering the neighborhood, the high beams came on to spotlight the importance of incorporating safety rules into the Halloween festivities. I felt if teachers and families read the book before trick-or-treating, it could be a powerful message.

MCA: Callan, what was your involvement in helping to create Touring with Tinzie Jo and Brindley: Racing to Share Halloween Safety?

Normally my job is just to draw the pictures for the books, and that’s where my involvement ends. Occasionally Connie will ask for my opinions on events or the wording of the story. In this book, however, Connie specifically asked to use some of my own characters that she had seen before. All of the trick-or-treaters in Touring with Tinzie Jo and Brindley: Racing to Share Halloween Safety are my original characters that I had created for my own children’s book. It was so fun to collaborate in that way with Connie and see some of my own creations actually be put to print. I’m not sure if I’ll ever actually sit down and write out a book of my own, but If I do it will be so cool to have that connection to Touring with Tinzie Jo and Brindley.

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

The most memorable moments regarding feedback from readers is when I receive videos of people sharing the books with their children. Hearing the children’s laughter and their voices chiming in with the reading of the books is heart warming. An email or message with a picture of children enjoying the books also makes my day and gives me a tune-up to continue writing.

However, the most memorable moments are seeing my former students, who are now educators, sharing the books with the students in their own classrooms. It is like winning the Indianapolis 500. It shows literacy can also drive along an oval track and come full circle.

MCA: More racetrack imagery—it’s so interesting how this series features your own restored Model T. Tell us, how do these books contribute to promoting family-friendly values or enhancing the lives of your readers?

Our book series is meant to be enjoyed by all ages. They can be shared with infants, toddlers and young readers as read-alouds while building a foundation for a life-long love of reading. Each book incorporates onomatopoeia and a poetic rhythm and rhyme. These style choices increase a child’s vocabulary and fluency. As children grow in their literacy, they can read the books independently and to family members as well. The ability to impact a child’s roadmap to literacy was one of the inspirations driving me to write the series Touring with Tinzie Jo and Brindley.

MCA: With such positive responses, could you tell us what’s next for Tinzie Jo and Brindley?

A fifth book is finished. It is a holiday book that tells the Christmas story as Tinzie Jo and Brindley drive around on Christmas Eve. It has also just been awarded the Mom’s Choice Gold Seal Award.  We are both very proud of it and can’t wait for everyone to enjoy it. It will be featured in an upcoming interview with MCA.

Callan is working on the illustrations for the sixth book. It is a fun book in which Tinzie Jo and Brindley spend the day at the park. However, a big surprise awaits them. Sorry, I can’t give away the surprise. Our target goal is for it to be published before summer 2025.

MCA: Connie and Callan, we’re so glad you could both join us today. We look forward to seeing more books about Tinzie Jo and and Brindley—and wish you continued success!

You can learn more about Connie and Callan Thornell and their award-winning book, “Touring with Tinzie Jo and Brindley: Racing to Share Halloween Safety,” by visiting their MCA Shop page.