The Legend of Poo Panties the Cat
Our Story - From Word to Print
Author Tom sits at his computer as he prepares a new "Poo Panties" story. Poo Panties the Cat watches.
Hi everyone! My name is Tom Allwein. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania. I am on the spectrum - as such, I had many unique experiences growing up.
This whole Poo Panties the Cat thing is the brainchild of mine. Over a decade ago, my father, Thomas, and I began swapping stories together relating to a plush ginger cat that my mother had gotten as a present one year. We gave him a backstory, and in our household, this stuffed cat quickly became known as Poo Panties. In the stories my father and I would dictate, this plush cat was initially a stray and he stank.
Soon after, Poo Panties the Cat would get cleaned up and taken in by the affable Willie, who shares some similarities to the author himself. As we continued to share these stories amongst ourselves, the cast of characters in Poo Panties' world continued to grow. Froggy was one of the first to join the team. A Scotch aficionado in the early oral tales, he has a taste for hot chocolate in the children's series. Then there is Baldy the Eagle, a bird of bravery and kindness.
Not all of the characters are benevolent, though - for instance, the Cardinal Catcher is Poo Panties' nemesis. A rival cat, perhaps there still might be some kindness hidden beneath all of the matts and tangles of his unkempt coat. Then there is Harry the Hawk, horror of the skies.
After many years of swapping stories amongst themselves about the cat, the father and son team were encouraged to adapt the oral stories into a series of children's books. This push came from Dave Allwein, the brother of Tom. Working as an English instructor in Taiwan for a decade and a half, Dave felt that the oral stories were modern, humorous, and could be a great asset for those learning English, as well as native English speakers.
Shortly after, the initial story, The Legend of Poo Panties: Willie Meets Poo Panties was released. The rest is history!
The Poo Panties the Cat book series has gained quite the following in south-central Pennsylvania. It has also been well-received in the classrooms of kindergartens across Taiwan as an EFL resource.
Poo Panties is quite the rascal. Always up to something, who knows where his adventures will lead next?
Poo Panties the Cat hanging out in New York City.
Author Thomas Allwein in the middle of drafting a new Poo Panties story.
A collection of Poo Panties stories including the first book, "Willie Meets Poo Panties".
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