A little guy with a BIG message: Laughter is a healing force—keep laughing! Dare to think BIG! Discover the small wonders within
YOU! You’re never too little to make a difference!
How Snickerdoodle Stories Began
Snickerdoodle first appeared in the early 1900s, in adventure
stories by Otis Ham, an old-fashioned Southern storyteller who
delighted in crafting tall tales for his two-year-old son. One
evening, when Mr. Ham had exhausted his repertoire of usual bedtime
stories, he became aware of a persistent "putt-putt" noise...
and gliding straight through the window (of Mr. Ham's imagination) "Snickerdoodle
arrived in a miniature car—in fact, a PEANUT car.
Snickerdoodle was a tiny forerunner of "Superman," and his
tall-tale adventures were indeed super. Snickerdoodle came to
be called "the powerful pee-wee," and he often surprised bullies
with his amazing strength. But his unique secret weapon was his
sense of humor. He never resorted to violence to solve problems
but instead relied on his common sense and imagination. A true
peacemaker, Snickerdoodle never saw folks as enemies—only
as potential friends.
Traveling
in his "Peanutmobile", Snickerdoodle had many thrilling
adventures. By pushing a magic button, he could adapt his
vehicle to land, water, or air.
In the tradition of other tall-tale heroes like Pecos Bill
and Paul Bunyan, Snickerdoodle's deeds helped shaped the
course of American history. During World War I, Snickerdoodle
flew his peanut plane on secret missions for peace and landed
safely during "blackouts," escorted by a squadron of fireflies
illuminating the runway! During World War II, Snickerdoodle
worked undercover for the U.S. Navy out of an office in the
Pentagon. One of his most challenging assignments was to
locate and rescue a submarine that had lost power and was
unable to surface. Snickerdoodle, deep-sea diver, enlisted
the aid of specially trained seahorses, and together they
helped lift the submarine to the surface!
And
in the space age, Snickerdoodle streamlined his "Peanutmobile" for
exciting rocket/space shuttle expeditions into outer space.
How Snickerdoodle Stories
Spread
Mr. Ham told countless stories about Snickerdoodle
to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Most
often, Snickerdoodle stories grew from a collaboration between
the storyteller and his young listeners, who were eager to
contribute their own ideas for adventures. Thus, each story
was fresh and never told the same way twice! A standard cast
of characters sometimes accompanied Snickerdoodle on his adventures.
These included his Uncle Yankee Doodle and his cousin Polly
Wolly Doodle, Spitfire Jim the Firehouse Dog, Star Spangled
Cat, and Jerry the Roller-skating Horse.
In the 1960s, Mr. Ham's granddaughter, Clare,
a kindergarten teacher with a large public school system, began
writing and sharing "Snickerdoodle" stories with preschoolers
in Head Start Centers, kindergarten classes, camps, and day
care centers (with children ages 3-8). As she shared "Snickerdoodle," she
asked for children's suggestions. Children from many backgrounds —different
races and cultures, various socioeconomic levels, and several
regions of the country— responded enthusiastically, begging
for more stories and providing story ideas of their own.
Snickerdoodle
Win First Prize
In 1975, the introductory "Snickerdoodle" story
by Clare Ham Grosgebauer, won first prize as best children's
story in the annual Virginia Highlands Writing Festival held
in Abingdon, Virginia. (Judges included the late Brendan Gill
of The New Yorker magazine.)
Interest in Snickerdoodle
Grows
Since the 1980s, "Snickerdoodle" has been
developed by Clare Grosgebauer's creative services
firm, Small Wonders Enterprises. Snickerdoodle CDs, activity
books, children’s tee shirts, and prototype soft toy
dolls have been sold at craft fairs, conferences
on early childhood education and homeschooling, school book
fairs, the Virginia Peanut Festival, and the National Storytelling
Conference. In June 2005, the Snickerdoodle™ storybooks,
with illustrations by artist Karen Rissing, were introduced
at Book Expo, the annual trade show of the publishing/bookselling
industry. Snickerdoodle! A Tall Tale About
a Powerful Pee-Wee! won a Mom's Choice Award, presented by Twila Liggett, creator
and executive producer of Reading Rainbow, the Emmy-award-winning
children's series on PBS.
What Makes Snickerdoodle
Special?
Snickerdoodle is a timeless hero, a champion
for the little guy, a peacemaker, and a true friend. He's a
goodwill ambassador for humor, fantasy, adventure, imagination,
and ingenuity.
His mission is to bring smiles and laughter
wherever he goes—to break through all barriers that cause
people to take life too seriously. These qualities were special
to Otis Ham. It was his desire to make Snickerdoodle "a living
joy to children" everywhere. In that spirit, we share his legacy
with you. Snickerdoodle offers "good news in a nutshell" to
all the young-at-heart!
Snickerdoodle is a timeless hero, a champion
for the little guy, a peacemaker, and a true friend. He's a
goodwill ambassador for humor, fantasy, adventure, imagination,
and ingenuity. 
