Easter Eggs in Common Deer Press Books

Many authors slip Easter eggs or bits of trivia into their books. Be it a street they grew up on, a family member’s name, or a favourite snack—little bits of authors' real lives sometimes slip into their fictionalized stories.

Thus, we’ve asked the creators of some Common Deer Press books if they could share any tidbits of information on things they might have snuck into their books.

David Cole, author of The Math Kids (middle grade series) and Emily and Sam (chapter book series)

The name of the elementary school I've used throughout the books is McNair Elementary, is the same school I went to when I was in elementary school.

The latest in the Math Kids series, The Election Calculation is now available. And keep your eyes peeled for The Spelling Bee Showdown, the third book in the Emily and Sam series, coming in spring 2025.

A.T. Balsara, author of The Great And The Small (young adult book)

I modelled "Middle-Gate Market" after Pike Place Market in Seattle. It's one of my favourite places and every time I visit family in Seattle I have to go back. I renamed the market in my book, however, as I suspect Pike Place wouldn't want to be associated with a bunch of plague-carrying rats wreaking havoc on humanity. In case someone at Pike Place reads this, I want to add that I have *never* seen rats there, although the "gumwall" is pretty ratty.

A new edition of the The Great & the Small came out in September! Buy it wherever books are sold.

Caroline Fernandez, author of Asha and Baz (chapter book series) and Grandmasaurus (picture book series)

I wrote Baz as an anxious kid because I am a worry-wart myself. Ironically, Common Deer Press paired me with Dharmal Patel as illustrator for this series and I think she embodies the creativity of Asha. So the personalities of the author and illustrator mirror the two main characters in the stories.

Get your copy of Asha and Baz Meet Katia Krafft now, or pre-order the next in the series, Asha and Baz Meet Gladys West can be pre-ordered now!