From the Dad Behind the Glitter
Why I wrote Oh Pickles!
I'm not supposed to be a children's book author. My day job is in technology. I help organizations figure out how to build and deliver products people actually want to use. Most days that means meetings, strategy decks, and a lot of Slack messages.
But I have three kids. And one of them, without naming names, has a particular gift for showing up to the world exactly as she is. Sticky bangs, mismatched socks, and zero regrets. She says "Oh pickles!" when things go sideways, which is often. Watching her power through another tiny disaster with full conviction, I realized this was the kind of kid I wanted my own children and other kids to read about.
Most picture books teach a lesson or wrap things up too neatly. Real kids don't work that way. They feel big. They make messes. They show up anyway. Oh Pickles! is for those kids, and for the parents who love them through every glitter incident.
Hi, I'm Jason
I live in North Carolina with my wife, three kids, and a golden retriever who is the spiritual ancestor of Waffles. By night and on weekends I make books, draw bad sketches that get redrawn properly later, and answer the eternal question of "Dad, can you fix this?"
Books have always been the thing I kept coming back to. There's something about a picture book read out loud at bedtime, then again the next night, and the next, that no app or screen can replicate. I wanted to make one of those.
Oh Pickles! is my first picture book. It won't be my last.
What is Glitter & Glue Press?
Glitter & Glue Press is the small independent imprint behind Oh Pickles! I founded it because I wanted full creative control over the books I publish. The writing, the illustrations, the look, the voice. No committee. No watered-down version of the story.
The name comes from the two things that hold a kid's life together: glitter (the chaos) and glue (the love). Every book under this imprint leans into that. Honest about how messy childhood actually is, and warm about how worth it those moments are.
I'm building Glitter & Glue Press one book at a time, with a five-book series planned for the Oh Pickles! universe and ideas for spin-offs, chapter books, and beyond. If you want to follow along as it grows, the Glitter Club newsletter is the best place to start.
The real-life inspiration
Oh Pickles! didn't come out of thin air. The character was inspired by the funniest, sparkliest little person I know. My own daughter. A kid with bigger feelings than her body can hold, who keeps showing up anyway.
She doesn't always match her socks. She leaves a glitter trail behind her. Her ideas? Big. Brave. Wonderful.
Out of respect for her privacy and the long arc of this series, I'm keeping her name and face mostly off the internet for now. You'll meet her, in a way, in every page of every book.
Our golden retriever, the original Waffles, supervises all writing sessions and makes editorial suggestions by leaning on the laptop until I pet her instead
What's next, and where to find me
Oh Pickles! (Book 1) is in production. Book 2 is already in progress. There's a five-book mainline series planned, plus spin-offs for Max, BB, and Waffles in the works.
The fastest way to know what's coming is the Glitter Club newsletter. Free coloring pages, sneak peeks, launch updates, and the occasional "Oh Pickles!" moment from real readers.
Come find Pickles and me on social, all @ohpicklesbooks:
Instagram · TikTok · YouTube · Threads · Pinterest · Bluesky · Facebook · X
For press, school, retail, or licensing inquiries: hello@ohpicklesbooks.com
Thank you for being here. I hope this story brings your home a little more laughter, and maybe a little less toothpaste in the hair.
Jason
Creator of Oh Pickles!
Founder of Glitter & Glue Press