Judd and Sprekelmeyer with the new and original versions of Three Tiny Tigers

Long-time Fullerton teacher Donna Judd has published a children’s book, Three Tiny Tigers, which she initially wrote in 1978 and had illustrated by her colleague, Joe Sprekelmeyer.

The tiger cubs’ adventures included nearly drowning after mistakenly climbing on a “log,” which was an alligator, being temporarily captured by a giant elephant, and becoming lost in a maze of jungle undergrowth.

Both Judd and Sprekelmeyer taught for thirty-plus years at Ladera Vista Junior High for the Arts. Judd taught Core and GATE core, while Sprekelmeyer taught art and mechanical drawing.

The two were also well-known in the community for their athletic connections. Judd, now 79, coached tennis at Troy High School for 23 years, claiming 19 undefeated league championships and three CIF titles. Sprekelmeyer, now 86, refereed 35 years of football and basketball games for the Fullerton High School Joint Union District.

Time flies, and by 2024, Judd, long retired, was enrolled in an OLLI class, Writing with Feedback, working on her memoir. As her grandsons, Henry and Sawyer, were soon turning three and four, Judd decided to redo Three Tiny Tigers for her young grandchildren.

“It was fun revisiting something I had written so long ago. I was startled to see I had Teri Tiger chasing a rabbit and thinking about ‘how delicious the rabbit will taste on buttered toast.’” It’s hardly appropriate for a children’s book! Judd fondly remembered creating the original book cover by gluing some jungle-looking wallpaper to cardboard.

Properly formatting the manuscript and laying out the book cover for submission to Kindle Direct Publishing was difficult. But Three Tiny Tigers was eventually published, with the manuscript revised and illustrations colored, plus a title page, dedication page, and bonus coloring pages. “It was fascinating to see something I drew be published as a book,” said Sprekelmeyer. “It’s exciting.”

Sharing the new book has been exciting to Judd as well. Recently, at Rolling Hills Elementary School, Judd was a guest reader in her daughter’s classroom of kindergarteners through second graders. Numerous children had questions; however, her ego was soon shot down. Rather than asking about the book, questions began with “Are you Mrs. Mulligan’s mother?” and “How old are you?”

Three Tiny Tigers is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle versions.