Retired Music Teacher And Entertainer Creates A Whimsical Animal Book For Children

The idea for Bill Sharkey’s new children’s book came to him while chasing some geese with his granddaughter in the California desert.

“On our way to find the geese, there was goose poop all over the sand and the ground and the driveways,” said Sharkey. “And we had to step around it, or step over it or step on it to get to the geese. I said to my granddaughter, ‘You know, if there were diapers on the geese, we wouldn’t have to worry about this. I wonder if you could put diapers on a goose,’ and she laughed and laughed.”

Inspired by that event, “Can You Put Diapers on a Goose” includes full-color illustrations of a variety of animals and rhyming questions for young children to enjoy, including “Can you put a diaper on a fish, and watch him swim around in a dish?”

The book ends with the little girl the narrator is speaking to answering the question, “Can you put diapers on a goose?”

Although this will be Sharkey’s first children’s book, he has a lot of experience working with children of all ages as a music teacher. He also worked for 15 years as an entertainer at children’s birthday parties doing magic tricks, songs and games.

“I’ve worked with a lot of children over the years, so I kind of have an idea of how they think, and what they like, and what’s humorous to them,” said Sharkey.

Sharkey has also written and published his own music, which he says requires skills similar to what he uses as an author.

“They both require imagination,” said Sharkey.

Sharkey also had a lot of support while writing his book.

“I’m with my friends who are elementary school teachers or retired elementary school teachers and family members who had children,” said Sharkey. “I let them preview the book before I published it and printed it, and they made some suggestions about changing this or adding that. They were very helpful.”

Two of Sharkey’s cousins also spoke with him about writing and publishing books. Writing under the pen name Liv Constantine, they have published several books including “The Last Mrs. Parrish.”

For more information, visit Sharkey’s website at www.sharkeybooks.com. His next book, “George the Giraffe Goes on Vacation,” will be available in late spring or early summer 2020.