This picture is worth enlarging:
Candy Canes and Puffy were Cutey's cats before I ever got my real cat whom I named Puffy in 1991. (Don't even think of comparing the name to "Fluffy." Puffy is infinitely classier. :p)
And from that day forward they lived in peace with their tornado neighbors, until a volcano erupted under their house. ^_~
(Actually, I think I sent them to Hawaii in one book and that's where the volcano got them.)
"Miss Taffy" is Cutey's mom. This Miss/Ms./Mrs. stuff is hard even when you're grown up, so cut a seven-year-old some slack.
I'm sure I could say quite a bit to analyze my younger self and how I attempted to master my fear of tornadoes by writing a story where everyone is okay in the end and all that, and how I continued to take control of upsetting situations with my Carlson Septs stories in high school (who, incidentally, also got hit by a tornado) and still do so in stories I write to this day.
But it would be more fun to dwell on how obsessed I was with natural disasters in general and tornadoes specifically through elementary school.
If I scanned everything I found in that box about tornadoes and other natural disasters, I could start a whole new domain for it. But instead, I'll select just one more book. It's in the same format (fold paper, staple, and fill with content) as Cutey and the Tornado Parts 1 and 2, but it doesn't lose as much from mere transcription, so here it is:
A tornado is a powerfull storm. They can rip throue buildings! It can blow trains of there tracks! And it cant get you if you know what to do! And Cuteys going to help! Turn the page
Hi! I'm Cutey! I'm going to show you how to be safe! Now, lesson one. The safe room. If you have a bacemint or a storm cellar, go there. tornados cant reach there. If you don't, go to a bath room or some where that dosent have windows. Sandy my little sister hides from tornados. Don't do that! Remember! it's not a game!
O.K. lesson two. What to do. Get down on your knees stick your head in and cover your head with your arms. I call it: rock a bye head! Push away any furniture. [A Crayola marker drawing illustrates this. Sort of.]
After the tornado, Call the power company for loose hanging wires.
Cuteys tornado song. Start singing when you see this -> ♪.
every day only somet-
imes when its raining
don't feel scard! That
means theres no more!
Just rember this theres
not one every day!
And that concludes this rereleased version of my first major literary project, Cutey and the Tornado! My inner seven-year-old is very proud and hopes you enjoyed it.