The Unlikely Tale of Peake 'An Pye

Growing up as the youngest and only daughter of a devoted two-parent family in merry old England, Sally Pye, with a Y, always thought that when motherhood arrived, she would be the perfect blend of Mary Poppins and Mrs. Doubtfire. 

Little did she know that as a working single Mother living in St. Petersburg, Florida, she would frequently feel too exhausted and overwhelmed to look on the lighter side of her chaotic life.

Deflated, defeated, and desperate for her two little boys to have a 'happy childhood,' she reflected upon her formative years and how her Mother (Mummy) had a knack for 'turning her frown upside down.' 

If the terrible tempers were rising, or the dastardly doldrums were dragging down the mood, Mummy would conjure up a ‘naughty’ rhyme or witty ditty to make everyone giggle. 

It was fun, free, and effective, so Sally consciously began to follow in Mummy's footsteps, and her little boys loved it.

As the years passed, Sally came up with bucketloads of silly short stories and songs, none of which will ever be remembered, except for "Mummy Eats A Gummy," which kept resurfacing in her head.

On New Year's Eve, after an exceptionally difficult year, Sally made a promise to herself and her boys to write a book before the end of the incoming 2024. 

After several largely pitiful attempts at writing a romance novel, and in a state of slight panic, she finally wrote down "Mummy Eats A Gummy" with the idea of turning the story into a children’s picture book.

Having no visual artistic talent of her own, Sally urgently needed to find an Illustrator who would not only appreciate the goofy absurdity of the story itself but could somehow handle working with a temperamental middle-aged woman and turn her madness into magic on the printed page.

That’s when the universe introduced Sally Pye to Kevin Peake. Henceforth known as Peake 'an Pye.

A friend of an acclaimed artist friend on social media, Kevin, first caught Sally’s eye with his mischievous ear-to-ear grin,  but she was truly thunderstruck by his artistic ideas and accomplishments.

Also, he seemed kinda fun.

His online biography reads:

 “Neither gassy nor ill-tempered, he exhibits a cool head, an even keel, and operates well in an environment of pure corporate chaos. But let’s not forget perhaps the most important point of all. Kevin is also a hoot to hang out with. Just ask his probation officer. That last line was a joke.”

Sally knew that Kevin would make her perfect creative partner in crime, so In a fit of whimsy and red wine, she reached out and introduced herself and “Mummy Eats A Gummy.”

Although he was busy having fun and kicking corporate ass, Kevin told Sally that illustrating a children’s book had always been on his professional bucket list. He shared that his son was named 'Max' after the main character in Maurice Sendak's "Where The Wild Things Are," and right there and then, Sally Pye knew that  Kevin Peake had to illustrate Mummy. It was written in the stars.

Sally & Kevin, aka Peake an' Pye, are thrilled to announce that Mummy Eats A Gummy will be ready for public consumption in Spring 2025. 

This project is a true labor of love, and they hope that readers of all ages will enjoy it for years to come.