Who is Snickerdoodle?

Meet Snickerdoodle®! In a nutshell, he’s…

• A tiny tall-tale hero from American folklore
• A “powerful pee-wee” peacemaker who rides in a peanut
• 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!

Read Snickerdoodle’s Message
 

What Makes Snickerdoodle Special?

Snickerdoodle is a timeless hero, a champion for the little guy, a peacemaker, and a true friend. He’s a tiny 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 my grandfather. It was his desire to make Snickerdoodle “a living joy to children” everywhere.
 

How Snickerdoodle Stories Began

Did you know that “Snickerdoodle” is almost 100 years old?!

He first appeared in the early 1900s, in adventure stories told by my grandfather, Otis Ham from Jackson, Georgia, as he was looking for a new bedtime tale for his two-year-old son. According  to my imaginative grandfather, a persistent “putt-putt” noise caught his attention, and sailing in through the window came Snickerdoodle…in his miniature PEANUT car!
 

A Nonviolent Superhero with a Secret ‘Weapon’…

Snickerdoodle was a tiny forerunner of “Superman,” and his tall tale adventures were indeed super. Snickerdoodle came to be known as the “powerful pee-wee,” because 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. He often surprised the “bad guys” by doing something unexpected––playing a joke or even doing something kind!
A true peacemaker, Snickerdoodle never saw folks as enemies—only as potential friends.
 

Snickerdoodle in American History and Folklore

Traveling in his “Peanutmobile®,” Snickerdoodle had many thrilling adventures.
By pushing a magic button, he could adapt his vehicle to land, water, or air travel.

In the tradition of other tall-tale heroes like Pecos Bill and Paul Bunyan, Snickerdoodle’s deeds helped shape 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. 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 lifted the submarine to the surface!
And in the space age, Snickerdoodle streamlined his Peanutmobile for exciting rocket and space shuttle expeditions to distant planets!
 

How Snickerdoodle Stories Spread

Snickerdoodle stories were a much-loved tradition in our family. What began with bedtime stories told to his sons, grew to be shared by my grandfather with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Most often, Snickerdoodle stories grew from a collaboration between the storyteller and his young listeners, who were encouraged to contribute their own ideas for adventures. Thus, each story was fresh, original, and never told the same way twice!
 

Meet the Doodle Family

A standard cast of characters sometimes accompanied Snickerdoodle on his adventures. These included his Uncle Yankee Doodle and his cousin Polly Wolly Doodle, along with Spitfire Jim the Firehouse Dog, Star Spangled Cat, and Jerry the Roller-Skating Horse.
 

Snickerdoodle Goes to School

When I was a child listening to my grandfather’s stories, I began sketching and writing some ideas for characters and plots. I told my grandfather that all kids should know about Snickerdoodle! I began to envision growing up  and writing and sharing  “Snickerdoodle” stories with a wider audience someday.

 I not only wanted to preserve the storytelling tradition, but to inspire new generations of kids to see how they, too, could be small heroes--imagining adventures, solving problems, being peacemakers, and contributing creative helpful ideas that would make a difference in the world!

When I was in college in the 1960s, as a student enrolled in an early childhood teacher education program, I had the opportunity to share “Snickerdoodle” with preschoolers in their classroom setting. I later also shared the stories with many children in Head Start programs and in camps and child care  centers , as well as with my classes of kindergartners after I had become a teacher in a large public school system.

The results?
Children from many backgrounds––different races and cultures, socioeconomic levels, and several regions of the country––responded enthusiastically, begging for more stories and providing story ideas of their own.
 

Snickerdoodle Story Wins  a Writing Contest Prize

In 1975, at the suggestion of a creative writing instructor, I submitted my introductory “Snickerdoodle” story to the annual Virginia Highlands Writing Festival in Abingdon, Virginia. (Judges included the late Brendan Gill, respected contributor to the New Yorker magazine.)
Snickerdoodle! won First Prize for Best Children’s Story!
 

Snickerdoodle: A BIG Idea that Kept On Growing…

Since the 1980s, Snickerdoodle has been developed and shared through the outreach of my company, Small Wonders Enterprises. (More information about About Small Wonders Enterprises)

In addition to prototype storybooks, Snickerdoodle products such as children’s tee shirts, activity books, and handcrafted dolls were first displayed and sold at local school book fairs and conferences on early childhood education and homeschooling. Snickerdoodle  products were also exhibited at the Virginia Peanut Festival and the National Storytelling Conference, as well as local book/writing festivals. Meanwhile, I was asked to share Snickerdoodle stories at schools and other venues. Interest in Snickerdoodle grew, and I took his message further, to book festivals in many states, and was invited to participate in school library conferences as well.

In 2001, the snickerdoodleforkids.com website was launched. The CD of Snickerdoodle stories narrated by award-winning storyteller Gary Lloyd, plus original songs performed by a Virginia bluegrass band and a “Rap,” was introduced.

During these years of exploration and development, Snickerdoodle was blessed to receive encouraging words of support and guidance from professionals in education, publishing, television, and toy companies. His famous and treasured “fans” have included the late Dr. Seuss; the late Bill Melendez, Emmy-award-winning animator of the “Peanuts” television specials; and American folklorist Pete Seeger.
 

Success for Snickerdoodle!
A Big Idea, A Small Wonder, and a Major Book Award!

In June 2005, after major publishers had not offered a contract for the Snickerdoodle books, Small Wonders Enterprises published the series of Snickerdoodle® storybooks, with full-color illustrations by artist Karen Rissing. The books were introduced and exhibited at the Book Expo conference in New York City, the  annual trade show of the book publishing/bookselling industry. Book signings and bookstore distribution nationwide followed.

Snickerdoodle! A Tall Tale About a Powerful Pee-Wee! won a Mom’s Choice Award, presented at Book Expo by Twila Liggett, creator/executive producer of Reading Rainbow, the Emmy-award-winning children’s series on PBS.

Snickerdoodle celebrates the power of the little guy to make a difference––the spirit of the superhero that lives within us all!

I am delighted to share my grandfather’s legacy with you. Snickerdoodle offers “good news in a nutshell” to all the young-in-heart!