A children’s book written by a local Long Island author and mom, Lindsay Rechler and her mother Debbie Kronengold, When Will They Leave? is a delightful children’s book written from the dog’s perspective during the pandemic and we love it. The pandemic was not and is not easy for any of us to get used to but, have you ever thought what your pet’s are thinking? This children’s book is written from the author’s beloved dog, Norman’s point of view. We have already read it several times and my children laugh and giggle each time they read it because the main character, Norman reminds them of their puppy.
“When Will They Leave is a tribute to our furry family members who have been by our side as we spend more time working, playing and learning from home. They have provided us with unconditional love, comfort and joy, helping us to persevere through changing times. This book is a big thank you to our devoted pets who have worked tirelessly to keep us entertained.”
About the author:
Lindsay Rechler, Managing Director at an investment bank, author, and mom, who released her debut children’s book, Good Morning Zoom, in October under Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, has released and self-published her second book, When Will They Leave?
As with Good Morning Zoom, Lindsay will donate net proceeds from the sales of WHEN WILL THEY LEAVE? to Muddy Paws Rescue, a pet rescue organization based in New York City. Good Morning Zoom continues to raise money for COVID-19 relief charities, as a result of a successful partnership with Penguin Young Readers, which announced a first print of 100,000 copies in October. Good Morning Zoom received national media attention in publications like Parents, USA Today, The Guardian, PopSugar, Yahoo, and more
“Our pets are a great source of joy for us throughout our lives,” says Rechler. “They especially provide companionship and a sense of comfort for us during these changing times. While writing When Will They Leave?, we considered our pets’ perspective and how they have also been changed by this pandemic.”
BUY YOUR COPY OF THE BOOK —> When Will They Leave?
The girls loved the book so much they wanted to ask the author, Lindsay Rechler some questions. Here is our interview:
1. Who named your dog, Norman?
Lindsay said, “When we first met Norman, we already had a middle-aged cockapoo named Willie and my dad was less than thrilled to add another furry member to our family. I promised he would be my dog and I would take him back to Cornell University with me after winter break. We returned the next day to take our boy home and I gave him the name Norman. I can’t pinpoint exactly why the name, but even as a puppy he seemed to be the right balance of sophisticated, serious and loveable (screamed “Norman” to me). As promised, I returned to college with Norman but then home with him two weeks later. Although I still refer to him as my first son, he quickly became my mom’s dog and the love of her life.“
2. Why Muddy Paws? It is such a great organization but, did you have a connection to the organization? Did you adopt Norman from one of their adoption events or do you or someone you know volunteer there?
Lindsay said, “A friend of mine has worked with Muddy Paws and told me all about this wonderful organization. They focus on supporting a community dedicating to ending unnecessary euthanasia of companion dogs through shared learning and education, direct lifesaving, and continuous innovation. While I did not adopt Norman from Muddy Paws, I have promised my two children a family dog in the near future and I know where were will be adopting him or her from!“
3. How old was your dog when the quarantine began?
*We adopted our puppy Baxter during the pandemic. He only knows us being home we are so worried about him when the kids go back to school full time because he only knows us being home ALL the time.
Lindsay said, “Welcome Baxter! That is very exciting. He is probably already thinking “When Will They Leave?” Norman was thirteen-years-old at the beginning of the pandemic. He was already very set in his ways and extremely attached to our family. During this past year, he has become even more devoted to us and we to him. Although he loves my two children and tolerates their attention, he prefers being alone with my mom.“
4. Does your dog do all the things in the book that you described and did your kids really dress him in a tutu? Would love to see a picture of that LOL
Lindsay said, “Norman does do all the things that the book portrays. He seems to feel an obligation to entertain us and even brings us his toys during dinner, goading us to chase him around the house. He does poke his nose into every Zoom and FaceTime call and he snuggles much closer during the night, taking up much of the queen bed. He seems to crave more physical contact and he spends most of his day sitting on my mom’s lap. My children enjoy draping him with scarves, Islander jerseys and blankets but he doesn’t keep them on long enough for a photo.“
5. The way you wrote the story it made us feel like you were writing from Baxter’s perspective. He has done ALL the things you wrote in the book. Even entered zoom calls. : ) What made you write from the dog’s perspective? Does Norman give you a look like, “When will you leave?”
Lindsay said, “Norman has always had a distinctive and engaging personality. He seems excited when I bring my children to his house, yes… HIS house, but after an hour, he is ready for them to leave. We view Norman as a member of our family and we attribute human personality traits to him. His attitude during this past year has been, “I love you and I am here to entertain you but why have you been around so much? When will you leave?” Now that we have a little more freedom to venture out, we can’t wait to get home to Norman, whether he likes it or not.”
6. Will you adopt another dog for Norman to have a fur sibling?
Lindsay said, “My mom has no plans at this time to adopt another dog. She feels that Norman would not be happy with another dog around. While I did tell my kids that there will be a dog in their future, we already call him or her “Norman’s niece or nephew,” between raising two young children, working full time at an Investment Bank and writing children’s books, I have to give myself another few months before that happens. I would like to add a fur sibling at a time when my children are old enough to take on some of the responsibility.“
7. Did you always want to be an author of children’s books? Did the pandemic facilitate that dream and passion?
Lindsay said, “If you would have told me a year ago that I had published two children’s books during the pandemic, I would have thought you must have the wrong Lindsay. I have always loved writing and this really became my creative outlet during a very difficult period. I had been working around the clock keeping up with my day job in finance and when the kids would finally go to sleep I found it difficult to read the news and fall asleep. I started writing at night. It started with a poem, which turned into ‘Good Morning Zoom’, initially as a story for my children so they could better understand this new reality. ‘When Will They Leave?’ came a bit later and had a lighter twist, but I also felt that it would be a relatable story for so many families. I am planning to stick with my job working for an investment bank, where I have worked for nearly 15 years, but I am not giving up on writing and I am working on another children’s book. It’s good motivation to tell my kids that they can wear many hats in life and pivot if and when they want to pivot!“
We thank Lindsay for taking the time to answer our questions and alowing us to get to know her better and of course, Norman! We look forward to rading more books from Lindsay in the near future.
If you would like to purchase her first book, Good Morning Zoom here is the link.
Again, we highly recommend reading When Will They Leave? with your family. It is such a great children’s book.
