Christine Burger

How Boodles Came to Be!

Once upon a time there was a little girl who wanted, more than anything, to grow up to be a Mommy. She loved babies! Being a Mom was truly her life ambition.

She grew up, went to college, met and married her husband; it was finally time to be a Mommy! Nine years had gone by and this young lady was afraid that her dream of being a Mom may never come true. Her heart hurt because she had lost several pregnancies, but they tried again. Finally, a beautiful, healthy baby boy was born. Her heart had never known such complete and utter joy. Her dreams had come true.

She would spend hours just looking at him. She couldn't believe he was her baby. She wanted to be the very best mommy ever. She imagined his future and who he would grow up to be. She wanted him to be kind and caring, thinking of others before himself. She wanted to pave the way for his dreams.

Being a Mom was even more wonderful than she imagined. It was a very big job and sometimes it was a very hard job. Having mommy-friends made everything a little bit easier and a lot more fun. She cherished her mum-friends.

Her baby grew quickly and pretty soon he was a big boy. He was ready to go to preschool. He was a bright and enthusiastic learner, full of energy. While he loved to play with other children, he didn't seem to care about having a "best friend." She had always had close friends and worried that he didn't seem to have one. She thought, "Everybody needs a buddy, sometimes."

Talking with and teaching her young son was her most important job. Sometimes topics would come up that she wasn't quite sure how to address. She thought to herself, "How do other Mommies explain this?"

These experiences gave her the idea to create a little character who would always be a Buddy. She would write stories that all Moms could use to talk with, and teach their children. She named her character Boodles.

She spent time imagining Boodles. He was kind-hearted and caring, very patient. He saw the beauty and goodness in everyone. He could talk to young children at their level using fun words, but stretching their vocabulary now and then. He was compassionate and showed empathy when it was needed most. He was a little monkey that could bare the weight of tears and enjoy the sound of laughter. He loved to snuggle to sleep or be dragged to sleepovers. He would always be waiting for you to come home, if he couldn't come along. He would symbolize unconditional love and stability. This little monkey would have a heart-shaped face and a heart-shaped nose; heart-shaped hands and heart-shaped toes. He would be super soft and cuddly with a little stitched belly button.

Boodles' purpose would be to talk about things like having a baby brother or sister, what it means if you are adopted, how families are different (and that's okay), how you make and keep friends, what it means if parents get divorced, and why people and pets sometimes die. There were so many things he could talk about.

She didn't think that “every book” would be for every child, but that “a book” would be for every child. She imagined creating a library that would become a Mom's go to place when there was something new or important to talk about. She imagined hearing from Mommies all around the world about what important topics needed to be addressed next. Boodles would be a Buddy for a young child and a tool to help Mommy teach.

As Boodles became “real,” her vision extended to all those who touch a child’s life―daddies, grandparents, teachers. Boodles might say, “It takes a jungle to raise a child.”