One of the greatest beauties and joys of living here in Anne Arundel County and Maryland, is, of course, the beautiful and magnificent Chesapeake Bay and our culture built around crabs! And now there's a new children's book, Bella The Blue Crab, that features both--a heroine she-crab, Bella, who has adventures and does good deeds in the Bay.
Our Experience
Recently I had the privilege of meeting the author of Bella The Blue Crab, Karen Cody, who uses the pen name A.G. Vlahos. She grew up in Washington County and now lives in Montgomery County.
My MacKID, Quinten, and I first met Karen at a festival in Annapolis last month and received a copy of the book then. She told us then that her daughter, Anna, was the inspiration for Bella and the book.
Quinten was initially drawn to the stunning colorful illustrations, and then he had read the book to me before we were out of the city limits of Annapolis. And the rest of the drive home he wanted to discuss the book, and even quiz me. The messages in Bella are powerful, yet fascinating to kids, and, as evidenced by Quinten's interest, it generates good discussion on important topics.
Meet The Author
The following is a recent Q & A with Karen Cody about her book and the heroine crab, Bella.
MK: You already mentioned to me that your 6 year-old daughter, Anna, was the inspiration for the book. Tell me how the storyline came about.
KC: Being born and raised in Maryland, and definitely a Chesapeake Bay enthusiast and a blue crab lover, when I was looking to write a children's book, I wanted to do something that would really capture the audience of our region, of Marylanders and all those who love the Eastern Shore. A blue crab is not your typical heroine, but I thought, "how cute." It's a great area with a built-in audience.
Of course, it was inspired by Anna, but I wanted Bella to personify strength, leadership, and being a positive role model. It's about a brave little she-crab who helps save the Chesapeake Bay through acts of kindness and good deeds. Anna personifies Bella very closely
And I didn't use my name. I wanted to use my pen name in her honor. It was a fun, family project that has really taken off over the last year and a half.
We started reading to Anna when she was very young. And I thought, "some of the best books are very simple, yet in the top 100 books of all time." We started this project to memorialize our reading to her and to have something for posterity. It's evolved into something more than that.
MK: Did you actively solicit publishers?
KC: No. After I worked with my illustrator and after the specs were ready, I really wanted to see how far I could go on my own. Many independent publishers are successful in calling their own shots. What I really wanted was for this to be a well-known book. Part of the fun was to see how much I could market it myself.
Almost every newspaper on the Eastern Shore has run stories on it, and just over the holiday season, Fox 45 in Baltimore featured me and the book during a live interview. It was a huge opportunity for me. And then I've done some other local things on the Eastern Shore. Some magazines have featured the book and my story.
MK: Do you plan to continue writing?
KC: Yes. I plan to have more than just one book of course. I'm working on my second book. I have the storyline and a draft version, and I will continue to work with my illustrator.
I want to have it more than just this area, so it will encompass other areas where other sea creatures will be involved in her adventures. I will try to hit more of the New England area. I want to spread the word beyond the Chesapeake Bay area.
MK: Will Bella be the main character in your future books?
KC: Definitely. She will always be the star. There will probably be a Bella the Blue Crab adventures series, and then I'll have ones that are offshoots of that.
MK: How many more books do you plan to write?
My goal is to write one book a year. I wanted to take the time to saturate the market as much as possible with her character, so I did not want to put undue pressure on myself to produce the next books.
MK: What rewarding feedback and experiences have you had?
KC: Kids love the book. All the feedback is that they love it, and it's so heartwarming to know how it's made a difference in their lives and how excited they were to read it.
The most humbling and rewarding experience was when the NIH Children's Inn reached out, as well as the National Children's Hospitals. During COVID in the early stages when they could not have anyone in-house, we did a reading program on Zoom. For both of those hospitals we had an educational session and a book reading for the children, some of whom were all around the world being treated by NIH. What was so interesting was the children talking about the species of crabs where they lived, and some of them were new to me.
Where to Find Bella The Blue Crab
If you're needing a birthday gift, or perhaps a Valentine's Day or Easter gift, for a young child, this book is perfect! To purchase Bella The Blue Crab, you can buy directly on the book's website or on Amazon.
Several bookstores at the beach in Ocean City and Delaware carry the book. The store nearest to us where you can purchase signed copies is at Karma Boutique Fashion in Lutherville.
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