‘If You Give a Mouse a Cookie’ author visits West Tennessee school

HARDIN COUNTY, Tenn. — New York Times best-selling author Laura Numeroff made a special appearance at West Hardin Elementary Thursday morning, bringing story time directly to students.

Numeroff is best known for her “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” series, with the original book first printed in 1985. She has published 49 children’s books, selling millions of copies.

“I knew when I was eight that I wanted to write children’s books, and I’ve been really lucky I have just sold my 49th book,” Numeroff said.

Author shares writing journey with students

Throughout her career, Numeroff has visited over 200 schools in almost every state, connecting with kids and spreading inspiration.

“Oh, it’s amazing every time I visit a school,” she said.

During her visit, Numeroff shared her writing process and encouraged students to persevere.

“I get to let them know how I came up with my ideas, how I became an author, but I also stress never give up because most of my books have been rejected anywhere from five to fifteen times,” she said.

Charitable work extends globally

The 72-year-old author has partnered with Village Book Builders to bring a library to an underprivileged area in Africa.

“As you saw, I read to this class in Malawi, Africa, and the little girl asked me how do I become an author, and I always say, you have to read a lot of books. Then, I realized that they didn’t have any and it broke my heart,” Numeroff said.

A portion of all her sales goes toward the non-profit Canine Companions for Independence. Numeroff says she plans to continue traveling, writing and visiting more schools.

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