Local girl and her grandmother pen children’s book
Diane Geis, left, of Zoar and her granddaughter Lavinia Geis have written a bedtime story to address the common childhood fear of the dark.
Lavinia Geis of Massillon and her grandmother Diane (Moppy) Geis of Zoar have written a children’s bedtime story aimed at calming one of the most common childhood fears: the dark. “Starry Skies Scary Eyes” tells a story based on Lavinia Geis’ true experience battling her fear of the dark.
“I am obsessed with stuffed animals,” said 11-year-old Lavinia Geis, daughter of Matthew Geis and Dia Palumbo. “I’m pretty sure I have about 300 now, and I’m terrified of them coming alive.”
It’s a fear she blames on the movie “Toy Story” in which the toys come to life when humans aren’t around.
“She keeps all her stuffed animals in the closet,” Diane Geis said. “She would see their eyes at night, and that would scare her.”
Diane Geis said the two hope the book also will spark parent-child discussions about overcoming fear of the dark.
The book is geared toward children age 4-8. It’s 39 pages, but the text is simple and brief, and there are plenty of illustrations, all created by Lavinia Geis.
“It took two whole months of drawing,” Lavinia Geis said of the book’s 24 color illustrations, which include the main character Mandy and Mandy’s house, a bathtub, a night sky and giant eyes glowing menacingly in the dark.
In addition to Mandy, characters in the story include Diane Geis’ cat Oliver and Lavinia Geis’ English Bulldog Sir Higgins Wellington III.
“We wanted a name that seemed very English, and a Bulldog is kind of like an old man, so we wanted an old man name,” Lavinia Geis said.
Set in the fictional town of Shepherdsville, the story follows Mandy and her family as they enjoy an evening campfire before Mandy prepares for bed.
“We go through the process of getting ready for bed,” Diane Geis said. “She takes her bath, brushes her teeth, does a few other things and has a bedtime story.”
All is well until Mandy’s father turns out the light after tucking her snugly into bed, then “eyes everywhere,” Lavinia Geis said.
The solution Mandy dreams up is to ask her father for a flashlight, which she uses to illuminate her dark closet and see the terrifying eyes are simply those of her stuffed animals.
At the end of the book, the authors have included suggestions for games and discussion topics that may be helpful for parents trying to calm an anxious child at bedtime.
Lavinia Geis said, “I wear a sleep mask so I can’t open my eyes and look around.” She also has a nightlight as a backup security method.
How it began
“I really cherish all the moments with my grandchildren,” Diane Geis said. “Lavinia spends a lot of time with me during the summer, and we usually take little excursions.”
Among those excursions are trips to lots of museums, the McKinley Monument and the America Girl doll store in Columbus.
“This summer I said, ‘Let’s do something different. Let’s write a book together,’” Diane Geis said.
“I was totally into it,” Lavinia Geis said. “This place is pretty much a second home to me. But when I was little, I didn’t like staying here because they have all these antiques and I never liked those dolls in there.”
According to Diane Geis, it took about two months to complete the book, which included designing the cover and laying it out. “We researched about 50 children’s books and kept notes about the average font size, the font styles used and what format to use,” she said.
Lavinia Geis said writing the book was actually easier for her than reading is. She is dyslexic, although she is considered gifted in both reading and math.
“I can’t focus on long books,” she said. “I maybe make it to page 30, but then it’s too exhausting.”
Where to find the book
The paperback is available from Amazon. Copies also can be purchased at scheduled book-signings starting next month: Walnut Creek Country Store on Oct. 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Zoar Schoolhouse on Oct. 5 from 3-5:30 p.m. and the Barry Askren Memorial Branch Library in Navarre on Nov. 9 during the village’s Christmas in Bethlehem Festival with time to be determined.
“Lavinia designed a picture based on one of the book’s illustrations — but with no color — so children who visit the library that day will be given a coloring page,” Diane Geis said.
Lavinia Geis attends Pfeiffer Intermediate School in Massillon, where her principal also has invited her to set up a book-signing during parent-teacher conferences next month.
“She ordered 50 copies of the book,” Lavinia Geis said of her grandmother. “We will never sell 50 of them — 15 maybe, but not 50.”
Does Lavinia Geis plan to write any more books?
“Maybe,” she said. “I have a collection of stories I want to make into one big story someday, but right now I don’t have the time or the patience.”
She may have a problem finding the time because she also wants to be a pilot. “But I’m afraid of heights,” she said.
She also is learning archery. “I’ve been doing it for about a year, and my coach said I’m one of the fastest people to learn that he has taught,” she said. “I’m not improving as fast as I’d like to, but I got a 290 once, and the top score is 300. I set way too high of standards for being an 11-year-old.”