About the Author

Growing up in the 90s

Josh grew up in a time before technology ruled everyone's life. Instead of phones, computers, tablets, and TVs, he was lovingly forced to play with sticks and stones, in sand and up in trees—quite literally.

Disney films, far from being a frequent fixture, were something reserved only for the most special of occasions.

The Great Outdoors

While his home had a TV and VCR (feel free to ask ChatGPT what that is, kids), he was seldom allowed to waste hours in front of a screen. Sure, there was the occasional Wishbone episode, sometimes followed by Bill Nye the Science Guy, but most days were spent outside.

It wasn't that Josh didn't like to watch TV. He did—a lot. But his mother, much like Leonard's, believed in the value of imagination, adventure, and spending time outdoors. It didn't hurt that Josh also had an active imagination. More often than not, he could be found outside, barefoot, fighting pirates from his ship in the trees, fighting Nazis in WWII from his fox hole in the sand pile (yes, he had a giant sand pile to play in), building skyscrapers high up in the branches where his primitive and non-OSHA-compliant tree house was located, living the adventures of Tarzan in the woods, where he frequently attempted to leap from tree to tree without touching the ground, or playing Robin Hood with his homemade bow and tree-branch arrows.

Lots of Fresh Air

Josh grew up in an age where friends spent their days outside—summer, winter, spring, or fall—and games were made up, adventures were had, and imaginations were developed.

Of course, there were plenty of times where he would beg his mother to let him watch something on TV. However, the answer was almost always a no. Instead, he was directed towards the outdoors to "enjoy some fresh air."

While not always what he wanted, this time outdoors helped to ignite his creativity and provide an outlet for his overactive imagination.

The Story Behind the Story

Over the years, Josh has spent countless hours making up stories to entertain kids. And while writing a children's book had never been a plan, it was in 2017 that Josh first had the idea for Can i Have a Phone? Written in a single evening, the story didn’t really go anywhere—partially due to the fact that many people were still uncertain of the long-term consequences of giving children phones.

After six years in which the story sat quietly tucked away in a Google Drive folder, Josh decided in the summer of 2023 to pursue bringing it to market. Of course, the illustrations were going to be super important—and there would be a lot of them! After an extensive search for the right artist, Josh found Karina Bulgakova in Ukraine. Together, over the next six months, they poured hours into crafting 58 unique illustrations to bring Leonard’s world to life.

Next, a professional formatter was hired to provide the finishing touches needed to get Can i Have a Phone? ready for the public. And by late spring 2024, seven years after the first draft, it was finally self-published through Amazon.

Today

Can i Have a Phone? is certainly not the only children's book idea he has. Several stories remain tucked away. Currently, Josh is working on finishing the first installment of a five-part young adult fantasy series that follows the adventures of a young heroine, Nora Hollingsworth, as she finds herself thrust into a magical world.

Josh is passionate about creating stories to entertain adults and children alike. After all, as one who has read children's books hundreds of times to his nieces, nephews, and the many children of his friends, he believes a children's book should not only captivate a child's imagination, but that it should also be enjoyable for the adult who will likely be reading it aloud ten times a day (until a new favorite is discovered).

Josh is not very active on social media so there is little to "follow along" with. However, if you want to remain informed on any future book releases, fill out the contact form to receive any and all future announcements.

Josh also loves hearing from his readers—children and adults alike. So don't hesitate to say hello! You can reach him at contact@mcgrath.works