Read Between The Book Lines with Author Josh Gottsegen | The Adventures of Rockford T. Honeypot Wednesday 12 August, 2020
It was cute reading The Adventures of Rockford T. Honeypot, but lets read between the lines with the Author Josh Gottsegen. I did a brief summary of the book here, but lets get up close and person on how this book came about and get to know the man behind the pen a bit better!
The Adventures of Rockford T. Honeypot Synopsis:
As a young chipmunk, shy, bookish RockfordT. Honeypot had dreams of thrilling adventures across the forest. However, timid of danger and germs, his only adventures were found in books and his imagination. When his family abandons him after a mistake that destroys their hazelnut business, Rockford sets off on a legendary journey beyond his wildest dreams. From exploring cuisines with a famous chef, training with ancient warrior monks, flying on giant hawks, finding true love, and much more, Rockford recounts his epic origin story of hardship, perseverance, and fortune.
What made you want to become an author, let alone a children’s author? What gravitated you to write children’ s/young adult books?
I always loved to imagine and write fantasy stories. I believe that my true calling was that of a storyteller, and not just ordinary stories, but adventures in other worlds where animals talk just like humans! Growing up, I watched Disney cartoons and many other shows that had animals as the lead characters.
How many books do you have out currently?
I have three children’s picture books published as the Joosh’s Juice Bar book series, which is aimed at young children. This book series focuses on teaching kids to make smart decisions about their eating habits and emphasize healthy, natural foods through vivid illustrations and fun rhymes. “The Adventures of Rockford T. Honeypot” is my debut novel and fourth published book.
What was your job before you became a young adult author?
I had started a boutique, marketing / creative agency in 2010, and focused on developing video projects, as well as fundraising and awareness campaigns for non-profits.
Do you have any children’s/ young adult authors who inspired you?
I recently re-read The Alchemist and Siddhartha, and these authors always provided inspirational elements for me.
Give a brief summary on what Rockford T.Honeypot is about and why children/young adults should add this to their reading list?
The Adventures of Rockford T. Honeypot is an epic origin story of the most successful animal in Tropland Forest. No taller than a banana and timid of germs, Rockford proves that even a small animal, such as a chipmunk, can overcome fear, travel the world, make new friends, and live a life full of adventure.
What was the inspiration behind writing this book? Anything in this book based off actual people/events?
In 2014, I wrote a children’s book about a family who runs a juice bar in Tropland Forest with the intention to make healthy eating “cool.” After completing three books in my “Joosh’s Juice Bar” picture book series, I decided to dedicate a full story of another character in Tropland. As I was brainstorming ideas, a close friend of mine fell ill, so I wrote a collection of short stories for her while she was in the hospital, all of which had messages of never giving up in the face of any obstacle. During her recovery, I continued to write and developed one of the stories, “The Adventures of Rockford T Honeypot,” while sharing each chapter with my friend during her path to recovery. I was motivated and inspired to write something filled with laughs, love, perseverance, and excitement for both of us. She is now 100% healthy, happy, and strong.
What is a big lesson anyone who reads the book would get from this story?
There are two messages that I’d like readers of all ages to take from the book. First, never give up on your dreams, even when people tell you it’s impossible. If you have a goal in life and work hard towards reaching the “unshelled diamonds” on your path, anything is possible. Secondly, Rockford’s communication with a diversity of animals throughout the book, no matter the species, comes from a place of respect, gratitude, and kindness. It didn’t matter if it was a squirrel or rabbit; he treated others the way he wanted to be treated.
What has been the response you have been getting since the release of this book?
I am humbled to see all the heartwarming responses since the book was published in late June. Families have welcomed Rockford’s story into their homes and continue to write about how they’ve become inspired. I set out to write a story that would encourage children and adults to follow their passions throughout their lives.
We are in the era of the digital space and world, and children are more into devices than ever before. What are some great tips to get kids to sit down and read a book for fun?
Find a comfy spot, grab a healthy snack, and see why everyone is talking about Rockford’s amazing adventures! Reading about Rockford and learning how he perseveres through adversity, especially in today’s times, will hopefully provide inspirational elements that kids could apply in their daily lives. For example, I loved hearing about Eliana, a six-year-old girl, and one of Rockford’s biggest fans! She read the entire book in just two days, and I was so moved, both Eliana and her mother had a Zoom interview with me!
BOOK CRAFTS
What is one of the most fulfilling things you have gotten thus far since becoming an author?
I love reading positive reviews from both children and adults. I spent years working on the book; it’s very fulfilling to read and watch videos about how much they enjoyed the adventures. More unexpectedly, I found it extraordinarily rewarding hearing about the bonding and togetherness from adults who have spent quality time reading and discussing Rockford with their children.
If Rockford T. Honeypot was made into a movie, would it be an animation or live action?
If any movie studio decides to make “The Adventures of Rockford T. Honeypot,” my suggestion would be to use traditional animation with the rich and vivid colors together with the whimsical storyline experience. However, if Disney wants to develop Rockford in the same “live-action / CGI” manner that they made the latest “The Lion King,” that would be amazing (@JonFavreau — give me a jingle and let’s mingle!).
What’s next for you? Will there be a sequel to this book? Any other books in the works?
There are several other books on the drawing board from Tropland Forest. More than a pawful of characters that have fun and exciting adventures to tell! Hopefully, we’ll also see them on the big screen (keep your fingers crossed for me, please!). Thanks for spreading the good word!
About The Author:Josh Gottsegen
Los Angeles native Josh Gottsegen has a background in filmmaking and digital media and is the author of “Joosh’s Juice Bar,” an early elementary school children’s book series that encourages healthy eating habits through vivid illustrations and Dr. Seussian-style rhymes. Earning his BA in Film Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara, Gottsegen has won numerous awards for his short films and video productions. Starting professionally at NBCUniversal Interactive, later Josh Gottsegen moved into editing as well as other creative projects for the Walt Disney Company, Fox Corporation, IMG, and the NFL.
About the Blogger - Kiwi the Beauty
Kiwi is the free spirited blogger and content creator of KiwiTheBeauty.com. As a digital influencer, she produces creative inspiration around beauty, lifestyle, media and travel leisure. Her life mantra is to make manifesting fun! When she’s not blogging, she is eating trendy hipster food, carrying crystals, making it rain at her local farmer's market and binge brunching.
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These characters look so cute and warm! I have an 8 year old niece at home and i’m sure she would love to lay hands on The Adventures of Rockford T Honeypot! Congratulations!
I will look for Joosh’s juice bar on amazon! Sounds like a cool series. Rockford T. Honeypot sounds like an interesting and inspiring character. It might be worth me finding now and putting up for my son.
These books look like they would be perfect to give to any child. I am going to have to look into these a bit more. They may end up being Christmas gifts for some of my relatives this year.
The Adventures of Rockford T. Honeypot Synopsis:
I’ve never heard of this but sounds really interesting! Thanks for sharing!
This book seems really nice and I love the designs!! Thanks for sharing this with us, looking forward to read them sometime!
Wow, these stories look great! I love the vivid cover animations too, they’ve been drawn so incredibly well.
Oh my goodness this sounds lovely and I really love the illustrations!
haven’t heard of it before but looks interesting one to go through..glad you shared this with us..great work though..
I wish we could find these books here. I think my son would love to read them.
I mean, these are just too cute. I don’t have kids but looking at picture books like these is something I look forward to doing when I do have them.
These books are so cute! The illustrations and storylines are so cute!
These books look awesome! And I love the message of don’t give up on your dreams!
I also wanted to become an author when I was a teen. Probably because of how I admired RL Stine’s books.
My kids and I are always on the lookout for books that teach kindness, respect and the wonder for adventure. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Wow… Those are lovely books to read. Thanks for sharing
I really love this book. I think it’s such a great way to teach so many different concepts that are so important.
These characters look so cute and warm! I have an 8 year old niece at home and i’m sure she would love to lay hands on The Adventures of Rockford T Honeypot! Congratulations!
My daughter would LOVE this book! I have it on my list to get it very soon!
Haven’t heard of the book before but the stories look good and your message is simple yet great!
That seems like such an awesome children’s book. It would make a great cartoon too! It is always cool to learn about the backgrounds of writers.
the artwork for this book is so good. I love how it reminds me of early artwork from the 90s of the Chipmunks and other Disney cartoons.
I will look for Joosh’s juice bar on amazon! Sounds like a cool series. Rockford T. Honeypot sounds like an interesting and inspiring character. It might be worth me finding now and putting up for my son.
Thank you for this interview. These sound interesting and I am definitely going to check out his books with my granddaughter!
This is the first time I heard about The Adventures of Rockford T. Honeypot. I think my niece would love to read this.
What a wonderful series of books. I’ll look into them for some the kids I teach reading.
I think it’s great that you don’t just give your opinion on the book but also some background on the writer 🙂
This sounds like a good read. I will check if this is available in India.
This looks really interesting. I love the book cover as the illustration on the front is very cool x
These books are adorable and perfect for any kid.
Wow,another character for kids to love! Can’t wait to read this for my nephew.
Wow! These are so great! My kids will surely love this especially my daughter.
My kids would love these books! The stories sound great and I love the illustrations!
Interesting to read your post.thanks for sharing. I really love the illustrations.
These books look like they would be perfect to give to any child. I am going to have to look into these a bit more. They may end up being Christmas gifts for some of my relatives this year.
This sounds really interesting! I never heard of this book before, but now I think I need to grab a copy!
Wow!! Great.. This is my kind of items. Really loved these
I am in awe of people who are able to create books like these. It’s just mindblowing.