Rocky Point Mom's 'Bath-Time Blues' Inspire First Children’s Book

Stinky Feet Stew, written and illustrated by Rocky Point resident Beth Capodanno, is a new children’s book created to make bath time less of a struggle for parents and children and more of a fun bonding experience.

Capodanno, an art teacher at Bayshore High School, says she had no intentions of writing a book until feedback from friends on a blog entry titled “Stinky Feet Soup” sparked her interest.

Inspiration for that story came when Capodonna was having a difficult time bathing her son Brendan, now 7, who has sensory issues. Brendan was a toddler, and helping him move from one activity to the next without over-stimulating him was not an easy task.

Creating a “recipe” would be a fun way to engage her son with bath time, Capodanno thought. And because Brendan loved to read, Capodanno decided to evolve that recipe into a humorous book that would help parents like her ease their bath-time blues. The message behind the book is that parents having a tough time getting their children to enjoy bath time should “try humor, love, and take a deep breath. It’s not easy when you’re under pressure, but keep it in the back of your mind,” Capodanno says.