Donna Dalton

Donna Dalton is an educator with 40 years of school experience. Donna currently lives in Manakin Sabot, Virginia, with her husband, Bob. She is a mother and grandmother who loves to travel. 

When retired, she wrote her first book, Two Mice at the Eiffel Tower,  based on a visit to Paris over 25 years ago. Donna has built upon her travel experiences to write her second book in the Two Mice travel series, Two Mice in London.  Since then, she has written her third book, Two Mice in New York: A Holiday Adventure, her fourth book, Two Mice on Safari, her fifth book, Two Mice in Ireland, and her sixth book, Two Mice in Italy. Her newest book, Two Mice in the Bahamas, was written during her 2024  travels to the Bahamas with her family, Robbie, Ellen, Tyler, and Kinsley.

What inspired you to create Azura and Afrodille, two French mice, as the stars of this holiday adventure in New York City? 
I held onto an idea for a children’s book for over twenty-five years. It all started with a trip to Paris with my family. As my husband and I were taking a break from tours and visiting sights, we took a minute to sit on the bench by the Eiffel Tower to take in the magnificence of this structure. My eyes quickly caught something moving by my feet. After further investigation, I quickly realized tiny grey mice were in the greenery by our feet, nibbling on leftovers from tourists. I certainly was not expecting to see mice by the Eiffel Tower. This unexpected sight sparked inspiration, and I turned to my husband and enthusiastically claimed, “I’m going to write a book someday about the mice at the Eiffel Tower!” Keeping that idea in my head for decades, I could never abandon that silly thought. Once I retired, I started to write my first children’s book, Two Mice at the Eiffel Tower. Afrodille and Azura became my two inquisitive French mice looking for a way to get to the top of the Eiffel Tower with their friend Madame Bella. While writing this fictional story, I aimed to educate children about Paris, France, and the Eiffel Tower while they enjoyed the narrative. The plot for the two mice to reach the top of the tower involves 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, and cultural awareness. My website features various activities that align with the skills of teachers and their students as they explore this title and a series of Two Mice children’s books. My two French mice have continued to travel to London, New York (during the holidays), Africa, Ireland, Italy, and the Bahamas.

The story beautifully weaves in major holidays—Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s Eve. Why was it important for you to highlight multiple celebrations in one children’s book?  
I want readers to learn all about the cities where my two French mice visit - the geography, major tourist attractions, food, and the culture.  New York, for me, was also a celebration of the holidays from Thanksgiving to Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year's Eve.  I wanted children to experience the Macy's Day Parade,  the Rockefeller Christmas Tree, the nativity scene near Central Park, the world's largest Menorah in Central Park, and the ball dropping at New Year's. in Times Square.

As a former educator, how did your teaching experience influence the way you shaped this story for young readers?   Retiring after 40 years as an educator left a void in my heart, a longing to stay connected with students. Born and raised in Richmond, my career in Henrico County and Chesterfield County was always about local students and their successes. But what next after retirement? The answer was a childhood dream to become a children’s writer, a new way to connect with young minds and continue the joy of teaching in a different form.  

New York City itself becomes a character in the book, with landmarks like Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, and Central Park. How did you decide which places the mice would visit in their search for the missing star?  
As an author, I wanted to highlight places that I visited in New York City to share with readers.  My husband surprised me one year with a trip to New York, where we witnessed the lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree.  It was a dream come true to see this happen in real time after watching it yearly on television.  As I wrote the story of the two mice visiting New York, I wanted to highlight the crucial attractions for students.  One reader's grandmother told me that her granddaughter was thrilled to visit New York and experience all the attractions mentioned in the book.  Two Mice in New York brings the holidays and attractions to life for students who are lucky enough to visit this magnificent city.  And, for students who have not traveled yet, it gives them a taste of the extraordinary events and places that I hope they might experience one day.  

The book also introduces Frankie the subway rat and his “rat pack.” What role do these characters play in teaching children about friendship, teamwork, or problem-solving?  
Frankie is a new character who helps the two mice find a way to reach the top of the Empire State Building.  Using collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking skills, Frankie and his team of rats help the two mice reach an open window in the Empire State Building. As a result of this teamwork, Frankie and the two mice become friends, joining together to light the Rockefeller Christmas Tree with its new star (spoiler alert).  

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Website: https://www.2-mice.com/​
Instagram: http://instagram.com/donnadalton2mice
Facebook: ​https://www.facebook.com/donnadaltontwomice
Twitter: https://x.com/DonnaMcDalton​

Purchase the book here: 
https://www.amazon.com/Two-Mice-New-York-Adventure/dp/0578651467