Alumna wins Kirkus star on debut book Rudy’s Belly of Bees

Shannon Schaefer’s debut book Rudy’s Belly of Bees (external link)  follows a young girl named Rudy who feels overwhelmed by emotions leading up to her big race at school. Taking from Schaefer’s own childhood experience, Rudy’s storyline differs when a classmate and her teacher share breathing exercises she can use to ease her belly of bees before competing.

The inspiration behind the story came when Schaefer's life completely changed in April 2020, as moving homes, online school and COVID-19 had her struggling to cope like the rest of the world during the pandemic. She had time to reflect on herself and her past, which led to her being inspired to write.

“Rudy’s Belly of Bees was what I call my own personal upside of the pandemic,” she says.

“I think sitting down [with the] help of my own therapy made me realize how many of my anxieties came from childhood. I was just thinking about all the [things] other children are going through now, likely experiencing it as well and seeing what tools were available in the world and how I could contribute.”

It all came down to writing for Schaefer. Once she had decided on writing children’s literature, she looked back at personal memories from her childhood that she could draw upon for Rudy’s character to experience.

Writing Rudy’s storyline was therapeutic for Schaefer as, “we are still children in ways, that person is both separate but still with us.”

She got her own belly of bees during athletic events as a child. “[They] were always kind of a challenging point for me, the idea of competition and placing on charts.”

Rudy’s placement at the end of the race is not shared with readers. Schaefer says she wanted to leave it up to interpretation as there are lessons to be learned for either outcome. “What really matters is that she did it, and I think that’s more than half the battle.”

Whether you’re an adult or a child, Schaefer believes there are life lessons for you in this book. 

“We are all at different phases in life, or where we are in terms of mental health, whether it’s on the good side or on the bad side of it, we’re all here.”

“And especially for kids, who are just starting to feel these intense feelings, it’s important to understand that they’re not alone in it.”

Along with Schaefer’s storytelling, illustrator Becca Marshall spreads the feeling of her words through colours and visual elements in the book.

“The illustrations’ colours go from light to dark, back to light. They kind of follow a story with emotions … you can really just step inside and have a little emotional journey,” says Schaefer.

Rudy’s Belly of Bees’ illustrations were one of the elements included in the Kirkus review (external link)  of Schaefer’s book. She is proud that among the 10 per cent of books reviewed per year, her debut story received a Kirkus star for exceptional merit.

Schaefer’s new book is focused on adoption and identity. She hopes to continue exploring mental health-related topics through her work in children’s literature to the point where her approach is not uncommon in the genre.

“I hope in the future there shouldn’t be any books like this [Rudy’s Belly of Bees] because we get to a place where we are more educated and well-rounded, and the information is passed down.”