Meet Toni L. Poll
Toni L. Poll is the creator of Snickerdoodle Tales, a children’s book series for ages 3–7.
The character of Snickerdoodle Wigglebutt McFluffy-Paws is inspired by Toni’s beloved Maine Coon cat, while the stories themselves are entirely fictional.
Now, Toni’s biggest wish is to share those same smiles and giggles with children everywhere — one whisker-twitching tale at a time.
Toni Poll grew up beside her grandparents’ farm in Mattawamkeag, Maine, where her grandmother filled the place with lighthouse bird feeders, coastal wind chimes, and old Nantucket baskets. They were small reminders of her heritage that brought a touch of the ocean to the countryside.
Toni’s father, David Smart, carried on his small-town farm boy roots, always ready to lend a hand to a neighbor, and worked for nearly forty-plus years as a machinist at the East Millinocket Paper mill. Her family’s story reaches back to Nantucket Island, where her great-grandfather, Gerald Reed, kept the light burning at Brant Point. Her grandmother grew up in that lighthouse with her four brothers before she moved to farm life inland, while her brothers remained and lived out their lives in the Nantucket area.
Toni has fond memories of growing up on the farm, learning to drive between rows of freshly baled hay, laughing with family while playing games at the big farm table, and joining in the cutthroat cribbage matches that always came out during the holidays. When Grammy babysat, it was either at the farm or downtown at the little library, where she spent some days working as one of the town librarians. Those times helped spark Toni’s lifelong love of books.
The memories of laughter, animals, penny candy, and the simple joys of small-town life now inspire Toni’s picture books. They are warm, down-to-earth stories that celebrate family, nature, helping others, and the magic of growing up in Maine.
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