I am thrilled to have interviewed author Gina DeGregorio-Sonbert, who shared with us details of her writing life, her book ‘Theodore Bearkins Lost His Blue Sunglasses‘, which was released on 16th September 2023, and answered a few fun questions. This post contains affiliate links.

Gina DeGregorio-Sonbert is a NYC music industry publicist and event marketer, who’s worked with everyone from Carly Simon to Coldplay, turned autism advocate, non-profit founder, and children’s book author. She holds an MS in Counseling and Clinical Health Psychology from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and is certified in Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Applied Behavior Analysis.

She is the founder of the autism nonprofit, Families For Inclusion, of which a portion of the proceeds of book sales are donated. She currently resides on Long Island with her husband Michael and their three children, Maxwell, Teddy, and Penny.

My 8-year-old son, Teddy, is the inspiration for this book, the main character, and the entire book series. When Teddy was diagnosed with autism at age two, I knew only one mom who had an autistic child. So I spoke with her for hours as she explained to me the things to expect, types of therapy, paperwork, government programs, etc. The one thing she said to me that I will always remember is, “My son will be ok, it’s the rest of the world that I’m worried about.” And that really stuck with me. So it’s become my mission to make sure everyone in Teddy’s orbit understands him and autism, so that people will see him and love him for the amazing boy he is. One way to do that is through this book.

I planned out the plot mostly in my head, talking it through out loud to my husband.

I chose the title at the very beginning and it is what drove the story.

Theodore Bearkins is named after my son Teddy, whose real name is Theodore. And there’s a cute story around the character Crocodile Duckhands. Teddy loves the show Bubble Guppies. When he loves a show, he will watch it on his tablet and then find scenes that he thinks are funny and rewind them to watch the same scene over and over again. Though Teddy is non-speaking, he will sometimes repeat or script lines from shows he enjoys. So, there was a period of a few weeks when he would run around the house repeating what we thought was, “Crocodile Duckhands! Crocodile Duckhands!” But, after sitting and watching the Bubble Guppies show about Egypt alongside him one day, we saw a scene where the guppies are running away from a crocodile yelling, “Crocodile, don’t eat us!” And we realized that, in fact, that’s was what he’d been saying! He was so incredibly excited when we realized it and was so happy that we were now saying it correctly!

My son is my research. I am also constantly researching, reading, and learning all about autism and neurodiversity as his mom, so that knowledge is conveyed in the pages.

I chose the genre of children’s books because it is my mission to teach kids about autism and neurodiversity.

It took about five months from writing the first page to the book’s release.

Cute, educational, inclusive

I think for most writers, it’s probably finding the time to write during our busy lives!

Theodore Bearkins is the first-ever autistic, non-speaking main character in a children’s picture book series where autism is NOT the focus of his tale. He is a sweet, silly bear who doesn’t speak much, but expresses his thoughts in lots of other ways. ALL kids find Theodore fun and engaging, whether they realize he has autism or not. These books are geared toward and marketed to everyone, not just those touched by autism. Rather than depicting autism as a “superpower,” Theodore normalizes ASD for children. He is a whole bear, with lots of different interests and adventures. Neurodivergent and neurotypical kids alike relate to his stories, feelings, and experiences, setting the example that we are all different, yet all the same.

The aim of the Theodore Bearkins series is to naturally introduce children to autism and inclusion in a subtle and non-obvious way. This allows them to experience a fun, silly story that they will remember, with values that they will organically absorb. Rather than promote inclusion head-on in an obvious fashion, these books create a natural discussion about differences and inclusivity, but it’s not necessary to bring those topics to the reader’s attention unless the adult chooses to do so. If not, the child will internalize the message just by reading the pages.

I do keep a plushie of Theodore Bearkins on my desk as I’m writing.

None that I can think of, except for maybe that I like to keep my desk and writing area neat and organized while I’m writing.

Depending on what time of day I’m writing, I will usually write in my home office, but also sometimes in my dining room, living room, or bedroom.

When my book becomes a cartoon, I’d love to voice Candy Crab or Sally Starfish!

“I’ve read your book, I think it’s great! Sign it please, then let’s celebrate!”

A big thank you to Gina DeGregorio-Sonbert for sharing her writing life with us and for a wonderful interview.