"Super Doople" by K.A. Cummins

May 17, 2023

About the Book

Book: Super Doople

Author:K.A. Cummins

Genre:Picture Book

Release date: May 4, 2023

You’ve heard the legend of Humpty Dumpty, but do you know the legend of Super Doople? He’s faster than a chicken. He flies higher than an ostrich. No fall can break his shell! And he was once Little Doople, a small and fragile egg like all the other dooples, until his bad habit of not listening caught up to him.

Engaging text with expressive illustrations, Super Doople is a lighthearted tale about resilience and learning to listen. This funny picture book for ages 3-8 is perfect for reading aloud in the classroom or at home.

Click here to get your copy!

Author Interview

1. Do you set a plot or prefer going wherever an idea takes
you?
In the words of the infamous Star-Lord, “A bit of both.”
Between brainstorming and drafting, I develop a plot and expand
it into a detailed outline. But even with a detailed outline,
drafting is a process of discovery. It’s like bringing a blurry
picture into focus: the details aren’t initially clear and sometimes
you realize the result isn’t what you expected.

2. Do you pen down revelations and ideas as you get them,
right then and there?
If it’s dialogue or an idea I feel certain about, I usually do. It
depends on what I’m doing. Stray envelopes and receipts have
made into the draft pile.

3.How long does it usually take you to write a book?
It depends on the number of rewrites. Not including my first
book, which took several years to finish, I average three to four
months to create a draft from a detailed outline, and about half
that to edit it. But all my stories have had at least three, if not
more, different versions. Super Doople included, for both the
text and the illustrations. Picture books are like creating two
books to tell one story: a book of words and a book of pictures.

4. Where do you get your ideas for your books?
I’m a kid at heart, and usually find inspiration by connecting with
nature, observing details in things big and small, or from
science. I love to explore the possibilities that exist all around
us.

5. Do bits of yourself/friends show up in your characters?
My characters are fictional, but I’ve learned as an autistic writer
who writes non-autistic characters that a writer’s perspective
and experiences shape their creations. Even if they are
intentional about creating something far removed from
themselves. I’ve looked back at stories, after they’re out in the
world and some time has passed, only to notice there are
familiar bits of real life scattered in them.

About the Author

K.A. Cummins is an author and an artist. She explores storytelling in a variety of mediums, blending the wonders of science with the possibilities of what if. When not crafting stories, Cummins loves spending time with her family, collecting fun socks, and venturing outside her comfort zone to try new things—at least once!

Connect with her through her website at https://authorkacummins.com, where you can sign up for emails about upcoming releases.

More from K.A. Cummins

“Super Doople” started with a comic sketch and the idea of what if a scientist put Humpty Dumpty back together again? At first, it was more for fun and to explore creating comics. In fact, in the first version, he bounced like a ball when he hit the ground.

But the idea stuck! I continued to gravitate back to it, enjoying the exploration of telling a story with words and drawings. Many sketches and several versions later, the character became Little Doople, a hopeful and determined boy with a dream of flying who, through a series of events, transforms into Super Doople.

It’s been so much fun working with Little Doople, especially having our youngest son engaged with the story. Our youngest is sixteen now and has a talented eye for design. He’s one of the first people I ask for art critiques (the other being my husband). He even helped me come up with the name doople, for both the character and the egg-people in the story. We brainstormed in the car on a two-hour drive home.

The joy of creating this story, and from the story itself, has become its own source of inspiration. I haven’t stopped brainstorming more story ideas for Little Doople. I’ve even started plotting some of them, but those are under wraps for now.

However, being a homeschool mom and former educator in other forms, I wanted to share a free educational resource to go along with “Super Doople.” So I’ve put together a few science egg-periments, activities, and coloring pages suitable for younger children that’s available for FREE on my TpT store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Doople-Science-Hands-on-Learning-Activities-9145443.

Hope you and your children enjoy reading “Super Doople.”