about the author
“You just might have something special here.”
— Mrs. Reevis, my 12th-grade English teacher
Like many of us, I had a teacher who saw something in me before I could see it in myself. For me, it was Mrs. Reevis, my high school English teacher in Ferndale, Michigan.
As a sixteen-year-old high school senior, I was younger than most of my classmates and often struggled to fit in. I was shy, a bit awkward, and unsure of myself. So when Mrs. Reevis pulled me aside to talk about my children's book assignment—and how much the local elementary students loved it—I felt a kind of pride I had never experienced before. "All the kids loved your book," she said. "They wanted to read it over and over again. You should copyright this. I'll show you how. Randy, you should really think about becoming an author and illustrator. Your characters are unique and wonderful. You just might have something special here."
That moment planted a seed.
It was 1991. I didn't keep many school assignments, but I kept that book. I proudly showed it to my parents. My dad was impressed—which meant a great deal to me. My mom, as moms often do, absolutely adored it and tucked it away in a box with the few school keepsakes we saved.
At the time, most of my confidence came from sports, especially football. That was where I imagined my future. I always considered myself creative, but I never pictured writing children's books—at least not until Mrs. Reevis planted that idea.
After high school came college. After college came the pursuit of a "real job." As I settled into my career, I often found myself thinking about that little children's book and Mrs. Reevis's words of encouragement. So I started sketching characters again—lots of them. Creating characters came naturally, but finding the story that connected them proved much more difficult. Eventually, the demands of life and career took over, and those characters were carefully set aside.
Years later, after building a fulfilling career serving older adults in healthcare, and following the passing of my incredible mother, my wife, Elona, and I were sorting through boxes of family keepsakes. We had only been married a few months when she discovered that old children's book my mom had saved all those years.
She loved it immediately.
Then I showed her the collection of characters I had created over the years. Without hesitation, she said, "You have to do something with this." I told her the challenge had never been creating characters—it was writing stories. I had no formal training. True to who she is, Elona bought me books on writing for children and encouraged me to take classes.
That was 2019.
Then came 2020.
Like so many others, I suddenly found myself with unexpected time and perspective during the pandemic. My writing classes moved online, and I immersed myself in learning the craft. Little by little, everything began to click. That's when I created the world of The Nose-It-Alls—a group of brilliant kid noses solving poetic riddles left behind by the mysterious Wizard Nostrildamus. The stories are filled with humor, adventure, mystery, and heart, while celebrating curiosity, friendship, bravery, kindness, and inclusion. After all, noses come in every shape, size, and color—and so do we. Yes, there are plenty of silly nose jokes along the way. But at its heart, this series is about curiosity, learning, and discovering the power of knowledge. That's also what inspired A Super Fun Dictionary of Homophones, which grew from the original "nose" versus "knows" wordplay that started it all.
What I thought would take a year became a much longer journey. There were countless drafts, revisions, lessons learned, and wonderful collaborators who helped bring these books to life. I navigated editing, illustration, formatting, trademarks, copyrights, and everything in between.
It truly became a labor of love.
As I write this in April 2026, I'm holding the first printed copies of these books.
And I know I didn't get here alone.There are three remarkable women who made this possible. Mrs. Reevis believed in me before I believed in myself. My mother never stopped believing in me and preserved the very book that started it all. And my wife, Elona, refused to let that dream remain tucked away in a box. Mrs. Reevis and my mother have both since passed away, but they are very much a part of this moment. One planted the seed. The other protected it until the time was right for it to grow. Elona helped it bloom.
I often think about how easily this story could have ended differently.
I could have thrown away that little book after high school.
If Mrs. Reevis hadn't taken the time to encourage me, I probably would have.
If I hadn't shown it to my parents, my mother never would have saved it.
If she hadn't saved it, Elona never would have found it.
And if Elona hadn't believed in me so completely, these books might never have existed.
For more than thirty years, that little book somehow kept finding its way into the hands of someone who believed it deserved another chance. Every time, someone encouraged me to do something with it.
Finally, I did.
To the three extraordinary women who shaped this journey, and to everyone else who encouraged me along the way, thank you.
My hope is that you and the young readers in your life find laughter, adventure, friendship, and wonder within these pages.
More than anything, I hope these stories remind children to stay curious, to be brave enough to try, and to believe in the unique gifts they carry within themselves. And I hope the adults who love them continue to nurture those gifts with encouragement, patience, and belief—because sometimes a few heartfelt words can change the course of one's life.
Be curious.
Be brave.
Keep learning.
And—Be the one who knows™.
Welcome to The Nose-It-Alls™.
— Randy St. Laurent
