BATON ROUGE — Grab your crayons and your courage — a new children’s book is inviting young readers to do both.
Local author and behavior analyst Sonia Dudgaonkar has released her debut children’s book, Crispy’s Bright Night, now available on Amazon. The interactive story follows Crispy, a child with big feelings and an even bigger question: what is his talent?
“Yes, I wrote a children’s book,” Dudgaonkar said. “It is an interactive book. There are prompts for the kids on every single page to interact with it. They can color it.”
Told through black-and-white, hand-drawn illustrations, the book invites children to color as they read — helping them stay engaged while exploring important topics like emotional regulation, inclusion, and self-expression. As Crispy prepares for an upcoming talent show, he feels nervous and frustrated, learning along the way how to manage big emotions with the help of friends, teachers, and loved ones.
“It talks a lot about feelings, like emotional regulation and how he’s able to navigate through those feelings and rely on the people around him,” Dudgaonkar explained. “Every single kid is different, and really, the whole premise of the book is: what is your talent and how can you share that with the world?”
The story also reflects Dudgaonkar’s professional and personal passion for working with children of all abilities. A behavior analyst who works with children with autism, she has volunteered at a special needs summer camp since she was just 17.
Inclusivity is woven throughout the book, with characters who communicate in different ways and learn that their differences are something to celebrate.
Bringing Crispy’s world to life was a deeply personal collaboration. “The illustrator is actually one of my leaders at work,” Dudgaonkar said. “She hand-drew every single picture in the book. I wrote the story, but she’s really the one who brought everything to life.”
Buy the book: Crispy’s Bright Night
Beyond storytelling, Crispy’s Bright Night is also giving back. Dudgaonkar plans to donate copies to Children’s Hospital, local libraries, and schools. Proceeds from book sales support multiple causes close to her heart: 50% goes to Friends Helping Kids, a nonprofit that funds a free, week-long summer camp for children with special needs, while 5% each goes to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Action Against Hunger.
“So in the book, it talks a lot about loved ones and friends and teachers and they’re able to color it and really kind of process through those more difficult topics,” Dudgaonkar said.
With crayons, courage, and a whole lot of heart, Crispy’s Bright Night is helping kids everywhere discover that everyone has a talent — and every feeling deserves to be understood.
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