Kim Watkins stood in front of her classroom, the old pages of a homemade book cradled in her hands. The colorful, hand-drawn pictures, carefully illustrated with crayons and pencils, glistened under the fluorescent lights. Her students sat cross-legged at her feet with their eyes wide as they earnestly chimed, “Read it again, Mrs. Watkins!” It was a phrase she had heard for nearly 30 years. Each year, new faces and curious minds sat fascinated with the cardboard-bound story she’d written back in 1994. This book was a simple classroom project that, over the years, had become a special tradition. But for Watkins, it was a dream, tucked away, waiting to come to life. And this past summer, after 30 years of waiting, that dream finally became a reality.
In 1994, at Middle Tennessee State University, Watkins was working on her master’s degree and enrolled in a class on writing in the classroom. One of her final projects was to create something she could use with her kindergarten students, and that’s how “The Wacky Week” was born.
With crayons, colored pencils, and her lifelong passion for art, Watkins wrote and illustrated the entire book by hand. Though it was made of simple materials — cardboard and paper — the story soon became a classroom favorite, with students often pleading, “Read it again!” Those three words were all the encouragement Watkins needed to know she had created something special.
But the dream of publishing “The Wacky Week” faded after a series of rejection letters from publishers. Watkins, in her 20s at the time, set the book aside, disheartened by the experience. Yet, even as her career moved forward and she taught in various schools, Watkins never left the story behind. It had become a part of her. With every school transfer and every classroom move, she packed the big, colorful book and continued reading it to her students year after year.
“The kids’ reactions were always the same,” Watkins recalled. “‘Read it again!’ And when kids say that, you know the book is a hit.”
Over time, however, “The Wacky Week” was consigned to a dusty closet, waiting for its moment to resurface. Watkins continued to teach and eventually spent the last 12 years helping struggling readers, but the book never left her heart. Then, last year, when her principal moved her to a new classroom, she stumbled upon it once more.
“I saw the book again, and I thought, ‘I need to do something with this,’” Watkins said.
The timing was perfect. That summer, she learned about a local class on self-publishing and decided to attend, determined to give her book the attention it deserved.
By June 2, Watkins took her first steps toward publication. Inspired by local authors and motivated by the potential to finally bring her story to a wider audience, she set to work.
“I’m very goal-oriented,” she explained. “Once I get my mind set on something, I’m going to get it done.”
With a new burst of energy, Watkins rewrote sections of “The Wacky Week” to bring the story up to date. She removed a few outdated elements and refined the narrative with help from her family. Her daughter-in law, Zoe Watkins, a professional editor; her son, Noah, an English major and editor by trade; and her sister and editor, Teresa Cook, lent their talents to the project to help her polish the story and make it precise.
While Watkins had originally hand-drawn the illustrations, she decided to use Canva — a graphic design platform — to create the updated artwork, saving time while still retaining the playful, whimsical style she envisioned for the book.
“I love to draw, but Canva made it so much easier,” she shared. “It felt like making a great big scrapbook of my story.”
In just a month’s time, Watkins transformed her 30-year-old classroom project into a self-published book available on Amazon. By July Fourth, “The Wacky Week” was ready for purchase.
The reception was nothing short of thrilling. Within its first week, “The Wacky Week” became the No. 1 new release in children’s books on Amazon.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Watkins said, still excited by the overwhelming support. “People started sending me pictures of their children reading the book, telling me how much they loved it.”
For Watkins, one of the most special moments came when a former kindergarten student, now grown, purchased the book for her own child.
“It’s amazing to think that something I wrote for her when she was 5 is now being read by her own daughter. It’s a full circle moment.”
“The Wacky Week” may seem like just another children’s book on the surface, but at its core, it’s a unique and relatable teaching tool. The book introduces children to important educational concepts — days of the week, color words, number words, and rhyming — all wrapped up in a fun and engaging story. Beyond that, it teaches a valuable moral lesson about kindness and inclusion.
“I’ve always wanted my students to not only learn the basics but also learn to be empathetic and kind to one another,” Watkins explained. “The central theme of the book is just that — being kind.”
In the future, Watkins is already considering her next project. The success of “The Wacky Week” has reignited her passion for writing, and she’s eager to dive into another book.
“Summers can get a little boring now that my kids are grown,” she laughed. “This gave me something meaningful to do, and it’s motivated me to keep going.”
From the colorful pages illustrated in a master’s class years ago to a published book that’s now teaching kindness to a new generation of children, “The Wacky Week” proves that dreams — no matter how long they’re put on hold — can still come true. Watkins said she is grateful for the support of her family and the readers who have embraced her story.
“This book is a piece of my heart,” she said. “And it’s been amazing to finally share it with the world.” GN
