The healing power of storytelling is a force that humanity has explored since we began sitting around the campfire long ago. Combine that with the power of modern medicine and you have a potent combination for healing, growth, and regeneration on multiple levels. This is the magic that Dr. Nicole Audet distills in her work, a kind of experience that goes beyond the day-to-day to bring a sense of wonder and enlightenment to her many child readers. Author of three recently published children’s books among many others, Dr. Audet is a known force in experiential learning and development. One book, a bilingual English-French work, teaches children literacy in the two languages as well as numeracy in a way that is accessible, challenging, but, above all, fun and engaging. Another bilingual story, inspired by a nurses’ strike at a hospital, delves into the intricacies of work and cooperation within society, introducing children to the framework that will govern their adult lives.
Meanwhile, “Parents for Sale” explores the common plight many adults face when having children: The inevitable wish for a family pet. Discussing responsibility and shared community, Audet’s ability to explore this is in a way that is easy to understand but also impactful and meaningful makes the work a must-read for parents facing this dilemma. If these tales seem especially crafted to deliver a meaningful message, that’s because they are and Dr. Audet engineers them from the ground up to deliver substance as well as entertainment. Balancing educational content with stories that will endear themselves to children is no small feat and represents the collective experience and work that Dr. Audet has made her life’s passion. When looking towards the future, Dr. Audet envisions a global reach and a more expansive audience. In other words, she has no plans on slowing down anytime soon with visions of conquering tomorrow’s challenges with the same aplomb that has brought her this far. Indeed, her work draws on a myriad of passions and pursuits with future plans chaining together with Dr. Audet’s past accomplishments to form a coherent whole that is her amazing career.
Since our last interview, you’ve published three new children’s books. Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind “Manges-tu mon lunch ?/Are You Eating My Lunch?”?
I wrote this book a few years ago with AuthorHouse. I won a gold medal in the Readers’ Favorite competition. My company Dr. Nicole Publishing publishes the book with two quizzes to assess the young reader’s reading and numeracy skills. As the book is bilingual, it’s ideal for all youngsters who want to learn a second language as well as reading. The letters are spaced out to help children with dyslexia read more easily.
What messages or themes do you aim to convey in “Grève à la ferme de Charles/Strike At Charles’ Farm”?
To write this story, I was inspired by a nurses’ strike at our hospital. I wanted to explain the concept of union and strike to sick children. To achieve my goal, I write this story about farm animals who refuse to work. Parents can discuss with their children the values of work and effort. This is the second edition of a book published with AuthorHouse. I won a bronze medal in the Readers’ Favorite competition. As with “Are You Eating My Lunch?” I’ve added 2 quizzes. These two books are the start of a series of bilingual stories I’d like to write in the future.
“Vente de parents/Parents for Sale” is an intriguing title. What inspired this story, and what do you hope children will learn from it?
When I had two children, they begged me to buy a dog. They promised to take care of it, but quickly forgot their promise. I had to walk the dog, feed him and train him. It inspired me to write this chapter book for readers having the same problem.
In this story, the twins had a dog as my children they did not take care of it. The parents threatened to sell the dog. The twins decided to sell their parents to keep their dog. Three groups of kids offered to buy, rent or trade their parents without success. The orphan fairy made the best offer. Once the deal was done, she turned into a wicked witch. The dog and the twins worked hard to save their parents. After reading this book, parents and children can talk about family values.
This book is also a second edition. With my own publishing company, I wanted to have control over the book production and retain my copyright.
How has your approach to writing children’s books evolved since your earlier works?
When I decided to publish books with my own company Dr. Nicole Publishing, I had the control on my goals, values, and mission. Knowing how a book can influence readers live, my mission is to change the world one young reader at a time. To achieve this challenging goal, I write entertaining and educational stories. To help parents or teachers assess reading skills, my books include quizzes. These quizzes help children develop critical thinking skills. In the series Felix and Booboo, the magic stethoscope, I’ve added advice for parents on their children’s health. All my books are bilingual or written in French or English. My last one is English and German.
Can you describe the creative process you follow when developing a new book from concept to publication?
When I write Felix and Booboo picture books, I select a disease or health problem. I gather kids’ questions on this problem, and first write the answers. Then, I imagine a story with Felix and his magical doctor suitcase. I can take me three months writing fewer than a thousand words. I imagine the story then I draw a first draft. After these steps, the illustrator makes the magic.
What role do illustrations play in your books, and how do you collaborate with illustrators to bring your stories to life?
Illustrations and text must be a perfect match. For the series of eight Felix and Booboo picture book, I work with Mylène Villeneuve. I send her a word text and some suggestions for illustrations. Mylène understands the text, it takes one or two drafts to draw emotions on all pages. She also imagined all farm animals on strike. When she was young, she lives near a zoo and she was drawing animals.
How do you balance educational content with entertainment in your children’s books?
I am a family doctor, and I have a post-graduate degree in medical education. I taught medicine for over thirty years. Teaching is a second nature to me. For kids, I teach with stories.
There are a story and a quiz to challenge reading skills in most of my children’s books. On my web site, readers can find a pdf of coloring pages for some books. All books of the picture book series Felix and Booboo are non-fiction written as a fiction.
What feedback have you received from readers and parents about your new books?
Parents and kids love my books. They like the illustrations. One day a friend of mine told me that her son dislike reading. When he read Special Food for Sam, he laughed and asked her mom to read it again and again. She begged me to write another one. These words made me believe that my stories can change the world of readers one at a time.
Are there any specific challenges you face when writing children’s literature, and how do you overcome them?
The biggest challenge for authors is marketing. There are many great children’s book on the market. We must work very hard to stand out. Book signings and public readings are the most effective ways of publicizing our work. We must be active on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to succeed. Marketing could be a full-time job.
What are your future plans for writing and publishing? Do you have any new projects or books in the pipeline?
My dream would be to sell my rights to a well-known publishing company. Working alone is not easy. Distribution may be difficult. With a traditional publisher, my books could be well known all over the world and be translated in many languages. With Felix and Booboo, we could imagine doctor toys, puzzles, board games and so on. There are no limits.
Parents for Sale could be a great film for kids. I have the story board written for this goal. My book for adults The Magic of Empathy could help managers, teachers or parents to improve their communication skills.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
My book Felix Is Curious About His Body have a bilingual English/German version and is distributed in Austria and Amazon.
Also, I published another adult book The Magic of Empathy.
I wrote this book in 2019 to help readers improve their communication skills with compassion and empathy. As a doctor, I know how being empathic could be magic. In this book, I first explain the science of communication and empathy, then, I write stories to illustrate how empathy was magic in my life as a mother, spouse, and doctor. The last chapter of the book contains exercises to help readers to improve their communication skills. I gave many professional speeches on empathy. During these lectures, participants can tell their own stories of how empathy has worked for them. Believe me, it is always magical moments.
I would like to give more lectures on this important topic.
To learn more about Dr. Nicole Audet and her books, please visit
Image credit: Elyandre Nord, Le Médecin du Québec
