Meet Tails: The Crumb Snatcher Near the Boardwalk
Exploring Curiosity, Caution, and the Creature Lurking Near the Beach
The Rustling Near the Boardwalk
He is a quick little something with cinnamon trails.
A blur by the boardwalk with a twitching tail.
He dreams of cookies, cupcakes, muffins, and sweets.
Following the smell of sugar through busy streets.
He hides behind palm trees waiting to lunge.
With his watchful eye, he scopes for wandering crumbs.
He avoids giant sand dunes whenever he can.
Especially the furry kind racing through the sand.
His appetite grows loud near the bakery shop.
Once Tails starts snatching crumbs… he rarely will stop.
Is he faster than a cookie determined to dream?
Join the escape plan, and you just might see.
I intentionally saved Tails for last.
He isn’t the main character of Nora Escapes the Bakery, but somehow he enters every scene like he owns the boardwalk. Fast paws. Sharp eyes. A grin that usually means somebody is about to lose a crumb.
Tails is playful, energetic, and impossible to fully predict. Around the beach, you have to stay alert. One moment everything feels calm. The next moment something reddish-brown darts behind a palm tree and suddenly your snack is gone.
That’s part of what makes him fun and part of what makes him dangerous.
Adventures are exciting, but adventures also ask us to pay attention to what moves around us. Some dangers arrive loudly. Some arrive smiling.
Especially the ones who already have a reputation for snatching crumbs.
The Energy of the Chase
When I first imagined Tails, I knew I didn’t want him to feel still for even a second.
I pictured movement before I pictured dialogue. I imagined a creature who rushes into scenes with excitement spilling out ahead of him. A squirrel who leaps before thinking. A squirrel whose biggest brag is the chase itself.
When I described him to Brandon D. Gunning, my illustrator, I explained that I wanted Tails to feel sleek, agile, and slightly overwhelming. I imagined a body full of curved motion and fluffy reddish-brown fur that looked almost cinnamon-colored in the sunlight. I wanted his oversized tail to feel theatrical, like it enters the room before he does.
Most importantly, I wanted readers to feel his hunger for excitement… and cookies! Tails is about about pursuit. He loves the thrill of catching something before it escapes. Because it’s fun!
Brandon absolutely understood the assignment.
From Sketch to Squirrel
Seeing Tails fully illustrated for the first time actually made me laugh.
Brandon captured every ounce of his chaotic energy. The giant tail. The wide grin. The expressive eyes. The outstretched arms that make him feel like he is either about to hug someone or tackle them straight into the sand.
And that uncertainty is exactly who Tails is. He’s fun to watch, read about, and chase through the story. But you probably shouldn’t leave your cookies unattended around him.
Every character in Nora Escapes the Bakery carries a different emotional rhythm. Nora carries longing. Preston carries warmth. Gayle carries comfort. Dune carries wonder.
Tails carries momentum. The second he appears, things move faster.
The Lesson Hidden in the Crumbs
As I continued writing the story, I realized Tails represented something deeper for me.
Sometimes excitement pulls us forward so quickly that we stop paying attention to what’s happening around us. Sometimes curiosity outruns caution. Sometimes the things that sparkle and rush toward us are not always safe to follow blindly.
I’m not saying we stop exploring. But can we learn awareness while we wander.
I think that’s one of the quiet lessons hidden inside Nora Escapes the Bakery. Courage matters. Dreams matter. Adventure matters. But awareness matters too.
Especially near the boardwalk, palm trees, and when you hear tiny footsteps racing nearby.
The Final Character Reveal
And just like that… you’ve officially met the bakery crew.
Nora.
Preston.
Gayle.
Dune.
And now Tails.
Looking back at these character reveals has been emotional for me because each article brought this world a little closer to reality. What began as imagination, sketches, revisions, and scattered thoughts has slowly become something readers will finally get to hold in their hands.
The bakery door opens June 1.
Tails probably got there before everybody else.
Which character are you most excited to see in Nora Escapes the Bakery? 🍪🐿️
