San Diego Mom And Son Write First Children's Book Amid Pandemic

SAN DIEGO, CA — Nikki Pezzopane and her 7-year-old son, Cameron Fica, share a passion for adventure and a fascination with sloths, and now they share "Slothee Wants Coffee," a children's book about both.

In the book, a sloth named Slothee travels from Costa Rica to different countries around the world in search of the perfect cup of coffee. Along the way, he meets new friends and learns about coffee and culture.

The San Diego mother-and-son duo wrote their book amid the coronavirus pandemic and plan to publish "Slothee Wants Coffee" by the end of March, a year after Cameron came up with the idea during their trip to Costa Rica and Panama.

"My mom said she wanted a coffee shop in Costa Rica, and I said 'Slothee Coffee' because it rhymed," Cameron said. "She likes sloths and coffee."

The pair first fell in love with sloths in Costa Rica, where they have traveled several times.

"I like them because they have claws and they are cute, and I liked seeing them in Costa Rica and Panama," Cameron said.

Pezzopane, 34, has always loved traveling. She has traveled to 38 states and 16 countries. Her son first went on an airplane at 3 months old. Now almost 8, he has lived in three states and traveled to 22 states and 14 countries.

As a single mom, Pezzopane said it's her goal to set her son up for success and allow him to experience new surroundings. Slothee and Slothee's mom represent that relationship and desire to encourage learning through discovery.

"We used to travel, pre-COVID, a lot," Pezzopane said. "We'd be out of the country or the state at least every month."

After taking a coffee tour, they learned that a lot goes into brewing a cup of coffee. From bean to cup, it is a process, and they decided to bring that process to life with a children's book.

After coming up with the concept, learning about coffee and researching how to self-publish a book, Pezzopane and her son wrote the story over the summer at the beach in San Diego.

"It gave us more inspiration," said Pezzopane, who recalled lying on a blanket and listening to the waves at Ocean Beach. "The whole book was written by the ocean."

"I liked writing it on the beach and picking out the characters and names," Cameron added.

They wrote the book in June and hired an illustrator in July. The illustrations by Yury Illustration were finished just before Christmas.

"The illustrator brought it to life," Pezzopane said.

Pezzopane has always had a love for writing. As a child, she used to write short stories. She never dreamed she would one day write a book with her own child, however.

"He's like my best friend," Pezzopane said. "He's my mini-me. He's just like me."

Originally from Michigan, Pezzopane moved to Arizona in high school. She was living in Arizona when she and her son came to San Diego in June for a monthlong vacation and decided to stay.

"All of a sudden, I just signed a year lease," she said.

Pezzopane earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and criminology from Northern Arizona University in 2008, followed by a master's degree in forensic psychology from Argosy University in 2011.

After a brief stint in marketing while in college, Pezzopane worked as a detention officer for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, and later served as a juvenile detention officer before she decided to switch career paths and started a digital marketing and social media management company in 2014.

As a first-time author, Pezzopane said publishing a book has been a learning process, from writing and editing to printing and shipping, and every step in between. But she has had her son at her side at every step.

"It's been amazing," she said. "I've received so many messages from other moms who want to do that with their children, too."

Pezzopane and her son hope "Slothee Wants Coffee" gives families a sense of adventure. They have plans for future books where Slothee will go on more coffee explorations and surfing adventures. In fact, "Slothee Still Wants Coffee" is already in the works.

They launched a Kickstarter campaign in which supporters can help fund the project and pre-order a copy of the book. As of Tuesday, the campaign — which ends Jan. 30 — is halfway to its $7,000 fundraising goal.

"Take a chance to go on that adventure," Pezzopane said.

More information is available at slotheewantscoffee.com.