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A Love of Pickleball and Fun of Rhyme

Have you ever had a jingle or rhyme run around in your brain and you just can’t seem to get rid of it? That’s the origin of our book title.

The pickleball players in Jackson, Michigan are avid players who suffered the same fate. Members of the Jackson Area Pickleball Association are always looking for a good time on the court, and they began chanting the phrase, “Bend Your Knees, Louise!” when they saw another player at the kitchen line hit the ball into the net. 

They know the secret to successful play at the kitchen line is to bend your knees, so you “lift” the ball over the net, creating the arc needed to clear the net. The friendly reminder has become a common phrase, and it has now been immortalized in this book!

Karen and Jackie have developed a wonderful relationship playing pickleball. We both love to engage others in our favorite pastime, pickleball. One day after pickleball, we casually brought up a children’s book about this sport. The rest is history, as they say.

Learning to put a game into rhyme isn’t as easy as it may sound, but we were relentless in making it happen. Edit upon edit-and then more edits-took place before we handed our manuscript over to our award-winning illustrator, Kevin Fales. His art captured our vision perfectly, and we eagerly awaited every sketch and then every painting.

Although our book project began long before COVID-19 became a household word, our work with Kevin took place during its darkest days, giving us something creative and happy to focus on. We are enormously proud of our joint venture.

Our Creative Team

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Co Author Jackie Freeman

Jackie Freeman

Co Author
Jackie is a writer, vocalist and avid reader, words have always been part of her life. She’s discovered as she traveled the world, there is no place like home on the farm. The sixty acres of rolling farmland provide inspiration and solace. 

Learning to play the sport of pickleball during a challenging time in her life, Jackie discovered a new group of friends, and an opportunity to do something exclusively for herself that promoted a happy, can-do outlook. She embraces the adage: You are NEVER too old to learn something new!

To learn more about Jackie Freeman, please visit her author website.

Co Author Karen Worthy

Karen Worthy

Co Author
When Karen isn’t on the pickleball court, she enjoys golfing and riding her bike. She knows staying fit is important to maintaining good control over her Type 1 Diabetes, and pickleball helps her do that.

Karen and her husband, Scott, love to travel both domestically and internationally. With only a few states left in completing their 50-state bucket list this year, COVID-19 put a stop to it for now, but there is always next year. And who knows, they may find a pickleball tournament to compete in during their travels.
Illustrator Kevin Fales

Kevin Fales

Illustrator
An award-winning artist, Kevin's illustrations can be seen in advertising, branding, books, magazines, web animations and of course wonderful children's books just like this one. 

When not working on illustrations you can find him casting a fly for trout on one of his favorite rivers or streams.
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