Orel Protopopescu

I named the hero of my most recent picture book, Thelonious Mouse, after the great American jazz composer and pianist, Thelonious Monk. My jazzy mouse risks his tail and more to fierce Fat Cat, because Thelonious has “too much music in him to stuff into a mouse hole.” Yet beneath the sometimes scary hilarity, young readers discover a vital message: It takes courage to be all we can be.

Thelonious Monk showed that creative courage all his life, persevering with his unique style of music when others called him “eccentric.” He was also a devoted family man, who composed songs for his son and daughter. Now, on the thirtieth anniversary of his death, I hope my book would have made him smile.