Storytelling has been an essential part of human history since the beginning of time. As adults, we all have stories from childhood that captivated our attention and earned a spot in our memory. If we were lucky, we gleaned some important life lessons as the story entertained us. After all, the best stories tell an entertaining tale while conveying an important message of wisdom. This was the goal of Seattle’s newest children’s book author Gerald Ruhoy as he wrote his first six-part series, Maddy and Grace.
While never considering himself a writer, Gerald has always been a storyteller. Originally from Long Island, New York, Gerald graduated from the renowned Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Product Design. While studying, he began working with various engraving houses as a product manager until the New York Daily News hired him. There, he utilized his expertise in color and gravure printing to assist in producing the weekly Sunday magazine, the various comic sections, and advertising color coordination. After a decade, Gerald left the New York Daily News to pursue his own business interests as a print broker. For the remainder of his professional career, Gerald and his business partner built a successful business working with advertising agencies throughout New York City, fulfilling printing projects across the country and into Canada.
Once retired, Gerald enjoyed the time he spent with his family, especially his three grandchildren. As he explains,
“I love children because children are honest, they’re smart, they always say funny things, and they’re direct. With children, you don’t get silly nonsense from somebody trying to direct you in a certain philosophy or something like that… I was able to just absolutely get along with my grandchildren because I knew what they were thinking. I knew how they thought and what they would be interested in. I had a lot of interests. I was interested in art. I love science. I love history. And I can do magic tricks. And because of that, I could talk to these kids about anything. So, as they were growing up, we got along great.”
Eventually, Gerald moved from Long Island, New York, to Seattle, WA, where he currently resides. While helping his next-door neighbor Mei with a home project, he met her granddaughter Maddy. As they talked, Gerald realized this little girl was brilliant and inquisitive. He would share information with Maddy, and she would want to know every detail about the subject, asking countless questions and absorbing the answers like a sponge.
As time went on, Mei moved away. However, they maintained a friendship. Gerald would occasionally visit her and Maddy, and their exciting conversations continued. During one of those visits, Mei told him about Maddy’s dream of an imaginative dinosaur adventure with her good friend Grace. Gerald thought it was a wonderful dream and decided to write it out as a story so she could remember and return to it whenever she pleased. Little did Gerald know, this would be the beginning of an exciting new adventure of his own.
After finishing what he now considers the manuscript of the first Maddy and Grace book, Maddy’s Dream, Gerald shared the story with Maddy, which she absolutely loved. As Gerald continued to visit Maddy and her grandmother, he would pick up a new story from Maddy’s imagination and return with another manuscript telling the tale. As he wrote out each adventure, he began to include an important life lesson learned along the way. Once Gerald had written several stories, Maddy brought a couple of manuscripts to school, where her teacher read the stories to the entire class. Each one received rave reviews from all her classmates, bringing Gerald closer to the decision to publish the stories formally.
In preparation for sending the stories to different publishing houses, Gerald met the next person who played an essential role in realizing the Maddy and Grace series, a local artist, Chris A. LeCocq of the LeCocq House in Seattle, WA. Not only did Chris draft the preliminary illustrations for the Maddy’s Dream manuscript, but her encouragement and artistry greatly assisted Gerald along his publishing journey, which he is exceptionally grateful for to this day.
Through Maddy’s imagination and his storytelling, Gerald was able to contract with Page Publishing to bring the Maddy and Grace series to print. Two years after sharing her dream, Maddy now has six unique children’s books dedicated to her name. The titles of the series include:
- Maddy’s Dream
- Maddy and Grace at the Racetrack
- Maddy and Grace Meet the Alien
- Maddy and Grace Solve the Crime
- Maddy and Grace at the Haunted House
- Maddy and Grace Fight the Fog
Each book includes beautiful illustrations aligned with simple, easy-to-read text intended for children between the ages of six and nine, a fun and adventurous story, and universal life lessons for parents and kids to discover as they read.
While his initial intention was to publish the books as keepsakes for Maddy and himself, Gerald is excited to share the Maddy and Grace series with the world. After a long career in marketing and advertising, he understands the necessity of making a robust promotional effort to give the books a chance at a strong readership. With the assistance of Page Publishing, the Maddy and Grace series will appear at book fairs throughout the United States and Europe. Both hardcopy and electronic versions of the books will be available through the website maddyandgrace.com, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, and Reader House, beginning on October 7, 2022. Additionally, keep an eye out for Gerald’s seventh children’s book, It’s Just A Penny, in the near future. It’s Just A Penny is a playful book designed to educate kids about fun money facts every child should know.
