About the Author

Tim & Sally's Vegetable Garden Grady Thrasher is a retired attorney and children's book author. He lives in Athens, Georgia and spends time writing at his country home in Watkinsville, Georgia. His next book is Tim & Sally's Beach Adventure.

Q & A with Grady

Where did you come up with the idea for the book?

My grandmother was a terrific back-yard gardener. She grew amazing tomatoes, peas, beans, squash, cucumbers, corn and other crops in a small plot, She had me helping her from the time I was in kindergarten. Mornings and evenings with her in the garden are some of my favorite childhood memories. I guess I've always wanted to write about them.

Are Tim & Sally modeled after anyone? What about Flip?

Tim and Sally sprang from idealized memories of my and my younger sister's experiences as children, the great times I had with my own two sons, and, now, from watching my grandchildren. Flip is probably a composite of the many dogs I've loved during my life.

What was your childhood like growing up? Where did you live?

I grew up in small towns in the South, during a time when children could ride bicycles downtown, roller skate on sidewalks and play outside until after dark. My father made a living as a dare-devil airplane stunt pilot for five years after his service in World War II. He and his brothers would put on air shows at airports all around the Southeast, then fly home for dinner. Sometimes he would let me fly with him. I had a very exciting and happy childhood.

What did you want to be growing up? What was your first job?

As a young boy, my heroes were always movie star cowboys. Roy Rogers was my favorite, but I also idolized Gene Autrey, Hopalong Cassidy and Lash LaRue. I wanted to be like them, but somehow I became a lawyer instead. My first job was while in the sixth grade, when I delivered newspapers after school on my bicycle. I made a dollar a day and felt rich.

Have you always wanted to write children's books? Is this your first?

I've always enjoyed writing. I spent most of my career as a lawyer writing boring legal treatises, so writing a children's book, in verse, is like a dream come true. Tim and Sally's Vegetable Garden is my first. It is also the first of what I hope to be a series of Tim and Sally books.

Do you enjoy gardening? Where does your gardening expertise come from?

I love a vegetable garden. The whole process, from tilling the soil, planting the seeds, tending to the plants and harvesting their bounty to me is exhilarating and amazing. Almost everything I know about gardening I learned from my grandmother.

What is your favorite way to spend your free time?

My favorite free time is when I spend it with my wife, Kathy.

Will there be more adventures with Tim & Sally in other books?

Sally, Tim and Flip have many adventures to look forward to with Mom and Dad. They will soon be having fun (and learning more about the wonders of nature) at the beach. They are also planning a camping trip in the foreseeable future.

How did you find the illustrator for this book? What was it like working with an illustrator for this book? How did she portray your story in her illustrations?

Elaine Rabon simply performs magic as illustrator. She brought Tim, Sally and Flip and their garden to life just as I imagined them. She was recommended by a mutual friend, Bonnie Ramsey, to whom I will be indebted forever.

What do you hope children (and their parents) take away from this book?

I hope the book will encourage children, with their parents (and grandparents, too!) to undertake the awesome adventure of starting, nurturing and harvesting a vegetable garden.

What was your favorite book/author when you were young? Now?

Albert P. Terhune's books about collie dogs such as Lad: a Dog and Grey Dawn were my favorites. My grandmother had been a schoolteacher, so she encouraged my sister and me to read many wonderful classics such as Swiss Family Robinson, Treasure Island, Gulliver's Travels, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Today, I read mostly non-fiction. But I do look forward to each novel by Terry Kay.

Which other children's authors do you admire?

Dr. Seuss is still hard to beat. I like to write in verse, and his work inspires me.

What advice do you have for parents to get their children to fall in love with reading?

Read to them. Encourage them to read with you. Make time and motivate them to read on their own (bribe them if necessary). Once they get the hang of it, they will understand.

What is your favorite vegetable, and why?

Nothing can beat a fresh tomato sandwich in July. Sweet corn on the cob cooked just after it has been picked is a close second. It must be that taste rules.