Finding Sunshine on Rainy Days With Kevin and Danielle Jonas
by Tia Guerrier
Whether it’s building sandcastles, splashing in the waves, or simply basking in the beauty of nature, a beach day brings joy to kids of all ages.
But what if that perfect beach day gets rained out? That’s exactly what happens to Bella in Kevin and Danielle Jonas’ new picture book, There’s a Beach in My Bedroom, whose loving family steps in to make her feel better.
“There are times when life throws curve balls at you, and disappointment is real,” says Kevin, a father of two, who shares that dealing with letdowns was part of the inspiration for the story.
Here, Kevin and Danielle talk about their new book, parenting, and making your own sunshine on rainy days.
Brightly: Your first book, There’s a Rock Concert in My Bedroom, is about overcoming stage fright and believing in yourself, and we know the inspiration for this book came from a personal place for you both. Is there a similar story of inspiration behind There’s a Beach in My Bedroom?
Kevin Jonas: With our life and as busy as we can get, especially with my touring schedule, something always pops up at the worst time. And when you’re dealing with kids who have their hopes up on certain things, it’s hard to break that or adjust. And that’s what this story is about. It’s not saying don’t do those things, but it is saying there are times when life throws curve balls at you, and disappointment is real. And so, how do you make the best of a situation when you can’t change the outcome? Make it as good as you can make it.
The little girl in the book, Bella, struggles with the disappointment of being unable to go to the beach, but it’s heartwarming to see her family come together to help cheer her up. As parents, we sometimes feel like we’ll do anything to put a smile on our kids’ faces. Have you ever done something a bit over the top to make your kids happy?
KJ: I had a show that got booked in the middle of our vacation, and there was nothing that I could do, but I had to, you know, be in two places at once essentially. But she {Danielle} made it a great night by letting the girls have a sleepover in her bed.
Danielle, as a mom, I’m sure you can relate to this feeling of wanting to swoop in and fix things for our kids, but you know, we can’t – and shouldn’t – always protect them from letdowns. Life comes with disappointment; part of growing up is learning how to handle that. How do you help your girls work through those difficult feelings?
Danielle Jonas: I talk to them a lot and try to be age-appropriately truthful with them. I also share stories from when I was younger, or even now going through something, and saying, it’s not just you that’s going through it. There are other people that have, and just trying to make them feel like they’re not alone in that feeling and that they can feel that feeling.
Your book is also about how to overcome the rainy-day doldrums and find fun in every situation. What are some of your favorite ways to entertain the kids on rainy days?
DJ: One time, they made their own board games, and then at the end of the night, we played [them].
KJ: That was a great day.
DJ: They did such a good job. It was really surprising. We still have ‘em, actually.
KJ: Better board games than we can buy in the store!
Favorite family beach day activity?
KJ: Our girls love to boogie board. I like to build sandcastles with them. I won’t say I’m really good, but I’m really good.
DJ: I like the water.
KJ: She loves the water. She loves to layout. As Alena gets older, she wants to lay out with her mom. It’s good to see.
Besides providing inspiration, did your girls have any input on the book? Do they find it funny to see their likeness as characters in the story?
DJ: They don’t have too much input with it. They like seeing the end result. But they did ask who’s the main character this time. [Valentina] was like, ‘Well, Alena had the first one. Now it’s my turn!’
What was it like working with Courtney Dawson to bring these books to life? When envisioning the illustrations, was there a specific way you wanted young readers to feel?
KJ: It’s incredible working with her. The first book, There’s A Rock Concert in My Bedroom was so easy. The minute we found, let’s call it her voice in the art, we connected. So we knew we wanted her to continue to work with us, and she brought our vision to life. We felt like it was the right look all the way along so we’re really excited for people to see this one. I’m not going to say I didn’t like the other, [but] I love this one for some reason. It’s perfect for July, middle of summer.
In There’s A Rock Concert In My Bedroom, we witnessed the family coming together through music and performance, which was a sweet homage to Kevin’s career. Additionally, we observed the family incorporating sea-themed beads into their activities to bring the beach to Bella. Is this a nod to your career in jewelry design, Danielle? Do you plan to encourage entrepreneurship for your daughters?
DJ: Oh, for sure. I would definitely love to see them do something on their own. Even in the first book there was a little bit of a nod [to the jewelry business} with the bracelet that Bella gave. It was just fun to see it in there.
What are your biggest parenting challenges?
KJ: Life can get really busy, so just staying present, I think, is number one. I think that’s anyone’s challenge, right? It’s easy to get distracted. And sometimes for me, my personal challenge is to put everything else away and just hyper-focus on what’s happening in that moment with them. As busy as we get, I think shutting everything else out and just focusing on them and that time is important.
What’s the very best part about being a parent?
DJ: The hugs. I like everything, I really like being a mom. I’ve always wanted to have kids. That was my biggest thing, I just wanted a family. Plus, having two [little kids] that look like you, and you’re seeing them grow up… My youngest lost her tooth last night. I got numb inside because I was hyper-emotional. I was like, ‘That’s my baby. We don’t have a baby anymore!’ Seeing those milestones and seeing them grow is just kind of crazy. And fun.
What was your favorite children’s book growing up?
KJ: It was Are You My Mother?, where this little bird runs around asking everything if it’s their mother, I don’t know why, but it’s just always stuck with me.
DJ: I loved the Amelia Bedelia books.
Best tip for encouraging a love of reading?
DJ: Alena had a tough time getting into reading, and then when she was able to read, we took her to the bookstore. She picked out some books, and they were younger than what she could have read. We still let her take those because she got that love for readings by reading those [books that she picked out]. I feel like you need to let them take the lead.