We are so excited for you to get to know local Long Island author, Joseph Costa. Joseph has created an incredible picture book series for elementary school age kids that we know your children will enjoy reading over and over again. Your children will love getting to know the Puffs that live in Puffville and reading about the fun adventures they get into in each of the books. My kids couldn’t wait to read all the books in this series and we look forward to future titles.

Get to know Joseph with us as he answered the following questions that my girls wanted to ask him:

1. When did you write your first book, Welcome to Puffville? And how long after did it get published?
 

“I wrote my first book, Welcome to Puffville, in 2010 and it was published the same year. I now self publish my books through Amazon-Kindle Direct Publishing.”

2. How long did it take you to write your second book and what is that book called?

“My second book, Christmas in Puffville, was written in about 3 days during my lunch breaks at a former job. This was one of my favorite books to write because of the rhyming style.”

3. Did you have a puppy growing up or do you have one now? Did or does that puppy look like Oliver or Libby in the Welcome to Puffville book?
 

“Yes, I did have a puppy growing up. She was a pocket poodle named Gin-Gin. I currently have two mixed breed rescue dogs named Simon and Penny. Most of the characters and animals in my Puffs books are named after real life family members and pets. Zack, Kayli, Layla Puff and Princess Lily Puff are my great nieces and nephews. Libby (a Pomeranian) was my dog in real life and Oliver (a Cavalier King Charles) was Layla and Lily’s dog in real life too.”

4. Does one of the Puffs represent you? Or if you could be one of the puffs for a day which one would it be and why?
   

“Razor the Rock Star Puff is my alter ego. I’ve been a musician most of my life and I always secretly wanted to be a rock star. My wife, Leeana, was a radio DJ most of her life, so I created Leeana the DJ Puff for her. “

Meet some of the other Puffs on Joseph’s Puff World Website.

5. We love that Christmas in Puffville was inspired by the writings of Dr. Seuss. Was it challenging to write in that rhyming style ?

“Actually, this book was very easy for me to write. Being a musician, I’ve written several songs throughout my life. Writing the rhyming pattern of this book was very similar to writing a song. This book was so fun for me to write and I plan on writing more rhyming books in the future. My book, Layla Puff and the Land of Letter Pals, also shares a similar rhyming style in the middle of the book when the Puffs are learning their ABCs.”

6. Is there any writing advice you can give young writers when they are trying to come up with an idea for a creative story?
 

“Yes, write about something you’re passionate about. Chances are, if you’re passionate about it, others will be too. You will pour your heart and soul into your writing and you will be so proud of your accomplishment. Also, when creating a story, a good rule of thumb is:
-First, identify your main character or characters.
-Then create a problem or conflict they need to resolve.
-Also, think about how your character has changed from the beginning of the story to the end of the story. Maybe he or she was afraid of something in the beginning but not afraid at the end, etc.”

7. Will there be another book in the series released soon?
   

“My next book will be titled, Welcome to Puff World! Layla Puff takes Stripey Puff and Dottie Puff on a magical journey around the world to visit Puffvilles in other countries like Mexico, India, China & South Africa. They learn that friendship comes in all different colors and that everyone should be treated with kindness and respect. I created 23 new Puffs characters for this book. We already started
illustrations and it should be released towards the end of 2025. While we excitedly await the release of this next book, I currently have 9 Puffs books available for you all to enjoy! See you in Puffville!”

We love the Puffs and their many adventures in Puffville. We highly recommend getting to know all the Puffs and ordering Joseph’s books on Amazon .

Are you a parent in the PTA at your school or are you a teacher and would like to know about Joseph’s Author Visits?

Joseph is currently booking Author Nights, PARP Nights, Book Fairs, School Assemblies, Library Author Events and more. 

Please contact him through his website: Puffworld.com

or via email: puffworldonline@gmail.com