‘Chip and Dip’ author Sydney Schneider of LI talks to Kidsday
Kidsday reporters with Sydney Schneider, center, holding her book, "Chip and Dip." Credit: Heather Mason
Our class had an opportunity to meet the author of “Chip and Dip,” a children’s book written and illustrated by Sydney Schneider, who is now a 17-year-old high school student. Sydney’s book was inspired by an epiphany (an aha moment) project in her eighth-grade English class at Jonas E. Salk Middle School in Levittown.
Sydney was so inspiring — she showed us the project that she did for her teacher and compared it with the book that has been published. She read the book to us and even showed us plushies that her mom sewed that match the characters in the book. The book is about two friends, a cookie and an onion, and how it is important to accept people for who they are.
We asked Sydney about lots of things. She told us how important it was to be inspired by her teacher, Nara Denson, who was the first person who told her that her project could be a book that could be published. Working on the book helped her become a better person because even though she is very shy, she wasn’t afraid to come back to Salk and share her experiences with us.
She also told us some funny facts. In one scene, the cookie puts the onion in a washing machine. She was worried that it might send a bad message to kids, but figured it would be all right. The part of the book that makes most people laugh is showing the friend smelled like underwear and having the picture of underwear on the floor. Tyler loves to draw, so he was especially interested in Sydney’s illustrations. She used colored pencils and did all the drawings herself. She went to art classes to learn how to draw better.
We loved the book. Lots of us bought copies, and Sydney signed each one for us. Sydney has been reading and presenting the book to all the kids she baby-sits for. In addition, Sydney is appearing on radio programs, in schools, at camps and other places to share her book. We recommend the book for little kids, who love to hear fun stories told over and over.
You can buy “Chip and Dip” by going to blurb.com/b/8262203-chip-and-dip.
Sue Casey, Debbie Dombrowski, Heather Mason and Kerstin Murphy’s seventh- and eighth-grade students, Jonas E. Salk Middle School, Levittown
