Caley Cantrell
Caley Cantrell is a professor and head of the Communications Strategy Track at the VCU Brandcenter. She and her husband Sean live in Richmond, Virginia, where they are raising their daughter with help and guidance from the dogs they adopt from local shelters. Dogs Do NOT Love Holiday Cards! is her second book.
To learn more about Caley, follow her on Facebook and Twitter, and visit her website.
To learn more about Caley, follow her on Facebook and Twitter, and visit her website.
Books
Dogs Do NOT Love Holiday Cards!
$15.95
$3.99
written by Caley Cantrell
illustrated by Sarah Berkheimer
The holidays are coming! It’s that time of year.
Time to send cards full of tidings and cheer.
We’ll need a family photo. Everyone gather ’round.
Now, wait just a minute, we’re missing the hound!
The family’s all ready to be in the shot,
except for the four-legged star…who is NOT.
You're Bringing Me A Baby?!
$15.95
A new baby's coming, and changes abound! Will there be enough love left for the hound?
written by Caley Cantrell
illustrated by Sarah Berkheimer
A new baby's coming, and changes abound! Will there be enough love left for the hound? Expectant parents, dog lovers, and big-siblings-to-be will delight in the worrywart dog who finds out that while he's not the baby anymore, that just might be a good thing!
More About Caley Cantrell
Caley Cantrell is the author of You’re Bringing Me a Baby?! and Dogs Do NOT Love Holiday Cards! From an early age, Caley’s life was rife with books. Her mother, an elementary school librarian, participated for over 50 years in a “Submarine Wives” book club for women whose husbands were deployed. Both Caley’s parents were voracious readers, and ensured that reading became a part of Caley’s everyday. They had a “no TV at the dinner table” rule -- but books were A-OK! Reading with Caley before bed became a household tradition that left a lasting impression on her. Some of Caley’s favorites are classics like Charlotte’s Web, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Harry Potter. With a childhood chock-full of literature, it’s no wonder Caley grew up to be an author!
When Caley was in college, she feared one day finding herself in a career she didn’t enjoy. Despite this, she found her calling working in advertising, and has been in the field for the past 33 years. In advertising, Caley likes that there is always an intriguing problem to be solved. Because of this, she always finds herself in fast-paced environments surrounded by intellectual people. After working in New York and San Francisco, Caley got a job at the Martin Agency, which brought her to Richmond. From there, she was offered a job at the VCU Brandcenter, and since then she’s graduated 10 classes so far. Caley says she has “the best job ever!” and loves it just as much, if not more, than when she started. She's even been known to send copies of You're Bringing Me A Baby?! to students who are expecting! Now that’s good advertising.
It’s not difficult to guess what inspired Caley’s dog-focused children’s books, Dogs Do NOT Love Holiday Cards! and You’re Bringing Me a Baby?!, considering that in the Cantrell household, family dogs, Grover and Sheila, were what some may refer to as "fur-babies"! Caley is a firm believer that you learn to be a parent with your pets, so after she gave birth to a baby girl, Caley refused to let the pups become “just the dogs.” Good thing she did because Grover and Sheila stepped into the role of protective brother and sister, and became loving siblings to Caley’s daughter. When they would take walks, Caley’s little girl, a youngin at the time, always wanted to help hold the leashes. Caley would cautiously hand them over, and as soon as she did Grover and Sheila would slow down, never once pulling on the leashes. Caley was constantly amazed by the attentiveness and sensitivity her dogs showed her daughter as she grew up, and the essence of the sweet relationship between them is beautifully captured in Caley’s children’s books.
In her next book, Caley will stick with the children’s book genre, but plans to break away from her typical rhyming verse. She says this new book will likely be longer than her previous works, and will incorporate some exciting fantastical themes! Even though Caley’s new project will be different in many ways from her other books, one thing remains the same -- her daughter continues to be an inspiration for her writing. We can’t wait to see Caley’s upcoming work, and we can’t think of a better way to close out this month’s spotlight than to end with some wise words from this talented author.
Caley’s advice to anyone writing a children’s book is to read the words aloud. She says she has found this is the best way to find errors in the rhythm and pacing. Much of the magic of a children’s book lies in the (literal) telling of the story, and if you never read it aloud as you’re writing it, you might just miss out on that magical element that every kids’ book truly needs. Read to write, write to read!
When Caley was in college, she feared one day finding herself in a career she didn’t enjoy. Despite this, she found her calling working in advertising, and has been in the field for the past 33 years. In advertising, Caley likes that there is always an intriguing problem to be solved. Because of this, she always finds herself in fast-paced environments surrounded by intellectual people. After working in New York and San Francisco, Caley got a job at the Martin Agency, which brought her to Richmond. From there, she was offered a job at the VCU Brandcenter, and since then she’s graduated 10 classes so far. Caley says she has “the best job ever!” and loves it just as much, if not more, than when she started. She's even been known to send copies of You're Bringing Me A Baby?! to students who are expecting! Now that’s good advertising.
It’s not difficult to guess what inspired Caley’s dog-focused children’s books, Dogs Do NOT Love Holiday Cards! and You’re Bringing Me a Baby?!, considering that in the Cantrell household, family dogs, Grover and Sheila, were what some may refer to as "fur-babies"! Caley is a firm believer that you learn to be a parent with your pets, so after she gave birth to a baby girl, Caley refused to let the pups become “just the dogs.” Good thing she did because Grover and Sheila stepped into the role of protective brother and sister, and became loving siblings to Caley’s daughter. When they would take walks, Caley’s little girl, a youngin at the time, always wanted to help hold the leashes. Caley would cautiously hand them over, and as soon as she did Grover and Sheila would slow down, never once pulling on the leashes. Caley was constantly amazed by the attentiveness and sensitivity her dogs showed her daughter as she grew up, and the essence of the sweet relationship between them is beautifully captured in Caley’s children’s books.
In her next book, Caley will stick with the children’s book genre, but plans to break away from her typical rhyming verse. She says this new book will likely be longer than her previous works, and will incorporate some exciting fantastical themes! Even though Caley’s new project will be different in many ways from her other books, one thing remains the same -- her daughter continues to be an inspiration for her writing. We can’t wait to see Caley’s upcoming work, and we can’t think of a better way to close out this month’s spotlight than to end with some wise words from this talented author.
Caley’s advice to anyone writing a children’s book is to read the words aloud. She says she has found this is the best way to find errors in the rhythm and pacing. Much of the magic of a children’s book lies in the (literal) telling of the story, and if you never read it aloud as you’re writing it, you might just miss out on that magical element that every kids’ book truly needs. Read to write, write to read!