“One, two, three, gray, cracked cobblestones pass beneath these little rooster feet; Four, five, six, my dragon wings and tail casting shadows on the bricks; Seven, eight, nine, with each small stride I’m counting the steps along the Rhine,” groused Cody the Cockatrice.
Well, what do you do when you are stressed, lost in a pandemic, feeling invisible? My character Cody counted cobblestone bricks, rooftops, and even humans. Feathers ruffled, he said, “As my rage grew, my small featherless wings fluttered enough to lift me off my feet from time to time.”
I’ve never felt more connected to a main character as I do Cody the Cockatrice during this pandemic. So many emotions that have overwhelmed us all everywhere in the world. This virus has taken lives, livelihoods, our sense of security, our sense of community, and forced family that once held us tight to stand off in the distance. Cody can relate!
Cody the Cockatrice came to life in the first book Once Upon the Rhine. However, in a pandemic, how does a book earn its wings? Cody can fly over one-hundred-miles-per-hour, yet that isn’t helping his book fly home to anyone. So, it was time that his creator started believing in the magic Cody possesses—I mean, he’s a Cockatrice god-parent and has more magic inside of his little eight-inch body than he even realizes.
Magic! How will Cody’s delightful character help Once Upon the Rhine reach children while they are stuck at home doing school, looking into a computer screen? He wants to be close to the children. So, I closed my eyes and felt Cody’s magic. Soon a Cody plush doll appeared, as mystical and magical as he is. To make a magical wish come true takes a bit of time, but the magic flows. “A hint of delight tingled and tickled from my toes to my wings and nose. My body seemed to flutter about like a butterfly. I breathed deeply. My tail with its heart-shaped end pulsed with anticipation.” Even Cody knows something is in the air!
Cody the Plush Toy will be for sale at My Favorite Books Co. Etsy store: Link to Etsy
RA Anderson 