Effie Davis Shares the Magic Behind Her Stories and the Adventures That Inspire Them

PHOTO: Effie Davis, author of There’s an Elephant in the Bathroom, inspires young readers to dream big through heartfelt stories rooted in family adventures.

Celebrating Imagination, Family Adventures, and Heartfelt Storytelling

Effie Davis discusses how family memories and a vivid imagination inspired her debut children’s book, her collaboration with illustrator Monika Marzec, and her hopes for encouraging creativity in young readers.

Effie Davis enchants readers of all ages with her boundless imagination, heartfelt storytelling, and a deep-rooted love for adventure. Her debut book, There’s an Elephant in the Bathroom, captures the magic of childhood wonder and transforms everyday moments into extraordinary journeys. With a talent for turning family memories into timeless tales, Effie reminds us that adventure is never far away—it often begins right at home.

Her work stands out not only for its creativity but also for its sincerity. Effie’s stories pulse with genuine warmth, laughter, and a celebration of imagination’s limitless power. In collaboration with the talented illustrator Monika Marzec, Effie brings characters like Emmett and Addie to life in ways that invite both young readers and adults to dream bigger and love harder. As you’ll discover in the conversation that follows, Effie’s passion for storytelling is as real and refreshing as the snow cones she enjoys on her outdoor escapades.

Effie Davis beautifully transforms everyday family moments into magical stories that inspire joy, creativity, and boundless imagination for readers of all ages.

What inspired you to write “There’s an Elephant in the Bathroom”?

When my son was 4 months old, there was a noise that came from our bathroom that scared him. I immediately tried to make it into something funny to keep him from crying. The first thing that came to mind was that there was an elephant in the bathroom. So, we went searching for the elephant. As he has continued to grow, anytime we hear a noise we would say that phrase and it became somewhat of a game of hide-and-seek for our family. After others heard about our little game they suggested that it would be a great children’s story and thus began my author career.

How did your childhood adventures influence the story of Emmett and the elephant?

I grew up in a very small town. With little to do there, I had to find ways to entertain myself so I leaned on my imagination for most of my adventures. To this day I’m still a kid-at-heart, with a huge imagination.

“Our imagination has no limits—no age limit, no limit of creativity, no limits whatsoever.” — Effie Davis

What was the collaboration process like with illustrator Monika Marzec?

It was the easiest, smoothest collaboration I’ve ever been a part of. I couldn’t have asked for a better illustrator than Monika. She went above and beyond to help me bring my story to life, and I can’t thank her enough. To now be able to call her a friend is a gift.

Why did you choose an elephant as the central animal for the story?

Simply to stop my son from crying and turn the moment into something funny, I had to think fast about what the sound we had heard could have been, and an elephant trumpeting came to mind, so I went with it.

How do you balance educational elements, like teaching onomatopoeia, with storytelling?

Most people read for pleasure. Therefore, with my storytelling, I would rather lean more on entertaining the reader and encouraging creativity within themselves than throw in a bunch of educational elements to flood the story for teaching purposes. This particular book is meant to be read out loud, so emphasizing elephant sounds and using some fun facts added an extra layer of enjoyment for the little readers listening to the story.

“All of my children’s stories are inspired by life events that have happened with my family.” — Effie Davis

What role does your family play in shaping the stories you create?

Whether it’s a simple phrase, a brief moment, or a whole adventure, all of my children’s stories are inspired by life events that have happened with my family. These stories are meant to be keepsakes for them to look back on and cherish for years to come.

Can you share a favorite memory that directly inspired a moment in the book?

My family loves to build couch forts. My husband and I even built a few for movie date nights before Emmett was born. So to be able to continue building them with Emmett has always held a special place in my heart and I knew we had to incorporate a couch fort scene into the story.

“It doesn’t matter how messy the first draft is, it has to be written to go on to the next step.” — Effie Davis

What do you hope children and families take away after reading your book?

Something that I’m a big believer in is that our imagination has no limits–no age limit, no limit of creativity, no limits whatsoever. I want readers of all ages to be inspired by these stories to embrace their imaginations and experience the adventures that come from them. Maybe one day their imagination can better our world.  

Are there more adventures planned for Emmett and Addie in future books?

Oh yes! Emmett and Addie have many more adventures they will be embarking on in the books to come.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors who want to turn their personal memories into children’s stories?

The first advice I received when I started my journey was to simply finish the manuscript. Before you can do anything else, you have to finish writing your story. If you can’t finish it, then it stays a dream. Once it’s complete then that dream can become a reality. It doesn’t matter how messy the first draft is, it has to be written to go on to the next step which is where the clean-up process begins.