Author Scott McNally and illustrator Robyn McNaull, had no intention to collaborate on their first children’s book, Hoot Hoot Goodnight. McNally works in sales at 3M by day and McNaull teaches preschool for Woodbury Preschool Programs on Steepleview. According to McNally, the story came about while he was awaiting the birth of his daughter Emma, now 3. “Everyone told me I had to have a goodnight story,” he says. “I said, ‘I can write my own,’ but it was originally meant to be a piece of paper, not a whole book.”
In the meantime, McNaull was finishing a mural in Emma’s bedroom. “Scott asked me to try painting a few images for his story,” she says, “then we met with a publisher and they guided us through the process.” McNaull considers the book “an adventure in learning” and while neither have immediate plans for future books or collaborations, McNally has some ideas for turning Hoot Hoot Goodnight into a series.
Hoot Hoot Goodnight can be found online at hoothootgoodnight.com, amazon.com at barnesandnoble.com. It can also be found at Kowalski’s Market and Cardinal Corner in Newport and West St. Paul.
