IF YOU'VE GOT A TODDLER IN YOUR LIFE, CHANCES ARE YOU KNOW THE NAME SANDRA BOYNTON.

READING HER BOARD BOOKS TO LITTLE ONES AT BEDTIME IS PART OF THE NIGHTLY RITUAL IN HOMES ACROSS AMERICA.

WE RECENTLY WENT TO SEE HER ON HER FARM IN CONNECTICUT, A VISIT THAT IS TONIGHT'S WEEKEND SPOTLIGHT.

WELCOME TO THE WHIMSICAL WORLD OF SANDRA BOYNTON, A PLACE WHERE PIGG'S SEEING, HIPPOS GO TO PARTIES, AND CHICKENS STAND AT THE GATE.

SHE HAS WRITTEN BOOKS THAT HAVE SOLD NEARLY 90 MILLION COPIES AND TO THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERS LIST.

THEIR DISPLAYS IN BOOKSTORES AND SECTIONS IN LIBRARIES.

HER FIRST BOOK HAS BEEN IMPRINT 47 YEARS.

>> I WAS -5 WHEN I WROTE IT.

IT HAS BEEN AMAZING.

JOHN: AND DELIGHTFUL FOR THE SCORES OF CHILDREN WHO LOVE HER BOOKS.

THEY ARE DISTINGUISHED BY HER DISTINCT DRAWINGS, CLEVER WORDPLAY AND LACK OF SIMPLIFIED VOCABULARY.

YOU ARE NOT WRITING DOWN TO THEM.

YOUR CHARACTERS DO NOT WALK, THEY PRANCE.

>> IT IS FUNNY THAT PEOPLE THINK CHILDREN NEED A LIMITED LANGUAGE.

ALL WORDS ARE NEW TO CHILDREN.

THEY SHOULD BE PERCUSSIVE, INTERESTING, AND INTRIGUING.

JOHN: UNLIKE SOME CHILDREN'S BOOKS, HER BOOKS DO NOT TRY TO TEACH.

>> OF COURSE YOU LEARN THINGS FROM THEM BUT I AM NOT LOOKING TO MANIFESTLY GIVE A LESSON.

JOHN: YOUR MAIN GOAL IS SOMETHING THE READER WILL ENJOY.

THAT ENJOYMENT IS FELT AS MUCH BY ADULTS READING THEM ALOUD AS THE CHILDREN LISTEN TO THEM.

>> ONE THING THAT DRIVES ME CRAZY AND SOME CHILDREN'S BOOKS IS THEY DO NOT READADELL OUT LOUD.

WHY WOULD YOU NOT KEEP WORKING ON IT UNTIL IT SOUNDED RIGHT?

JOHN: WHO DOES SHE WRITE FOR?

>> FIRST AND FOREMOST, THEY ARE FOR ME.

VERY SOON, I HAD MY OWN CHILDREN.

IT WAS A GREAT LUXURY TO BE ABLE TO WRITE THEM FOR MY OWN CHILDREN.

I KNEW WHAT WOULD MAKE THEM LAUGH AND WANT TO TURN THE PAGE.

IT WAS A COLLABORATION, THE BEST YOU CAN HAVE.

JOHN: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ON THE FARM?

>> WE HAVE BEEN HERE 43 YEARS.

JOHN: SHE LIVES AND WORKS ON A SECLUDED NORTHWEST CONNECTICUT FARM WHERE SHE RAISED A FAMILY WITH HER HUSBAND WHO DIED IN 2014.

>> IT IS A VERY OLD FARMHOUSE.

1728 IS ON THE INCORPORATION MAPS, SO EARLIER THAN THAT.

JOHN: IT IS A LONG WAY FROM HER BEGINNINGS DESIGNING AND SELLING HER OWN GREETING CARDS IN COLLEGE BECAUSE SHE COULD NOT FIND CARDS SHE WANTED TO SEND.

>> YOU REALLY COULD NOT FIND CARDS WHERE YOU SAY THIS WOULD DELIGHT SOMEONE AND I WOULD BE PROUD TO SEND IT.

JOHN: BESIDES, SHE THOUGHT IT WAS A BETTER WAY TO EARN MONEY THEN HER SUMMER WAITRESSING JOB.

THIS IS THE CARD PEOPLE MOST ASSOCIATE WITH YOUR CARDS?

>> YES.

HIPPO BIRDY TO YOU.

JOHN: ON TUESDAY, HER LATEST TITLE COMES OUT.

IT IS A HOLIDAY PICTURE BOOK WITH A CD REFLECT IN HER LIFELONG PASSION FOR MUSIC.

>> WHEN MALENESS WENT OFF TO KINDERGARTEN, I WANTED TO MAKE CHILDREN'S MUSIC THAT WAS MUSIC SO THAT THE ADULTS WOULD NOT WANT TO LEAVE THE ROOM WHEN IT WAS ON.

>> ♪ RHINOCEROS TAP ♪ JOHN: THAT WAS HER FIRST SONG RELEASED IN 1996.

SHE HAS SOLD MORE THAN 3 MILLION C.D.

'S BEEN NOMINATED FOR A GRAMMY.

SHE SAYS IT HAS BEEN A DREAM COME TRUE.

>> I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE ABLE TO WORK WITH MOST OF MY MUSICAL HEROES.

JOHN: LIKE THE LATE B.B.

KING.

>> ♪ >> IT TURNED OUT THAT HIS MANAGER HAD LITTLE GRANDCHILDREN AND SAID, YES.

IT HAS NOT BEEN A HARD SELL.

I THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE THROUGH CHILDREN.

>> ♪ THAT'S RIGHT I'M SANTA CLAUS ♪ ♪ JOHN: AND NOW, A HOLIDAY ALBUM, SOMETHING SHE RESISTED.

>> I WAS TERRIFIED TO DO A HOLIDAY ALBUM.

IT IS CENTURIES WORTH OF MUSIC.

THERE ARE SO MANY CLASSICS.

WHERE COULD I FIT INTO THAT?

JOHN: OF COURSE, THESE ARE NOT YOUR TYPICAL HOLIDAY SONGS.

THE VOICES ON THE C.D.

INCLUDE LYLE LOVETT, BROADWAY STAR PATTI LUPONE, AND ACTRESS ZOOEY DESCHANEL.

>> ♪ JOHN: SHE WENT TO YALE DRAMA SCHOOL TO BE A THEATER DIRECTOR AND SAYS SHE FEELS RIGHT AT HOME IN THE RECORDING STUDIO.

>> I AM NOT GOOD AT A LOT OF THINGS.

I AM NOT A NATURAL ARTIST.

I AM A TERRIBLE DANCER.

BUT THIS IS WHAT I AM GOOD AT.

JOHN: HER LEGIONS OF FANS THINK BOYNTON IS VERY GOOD AT THE DRAWING AND WRITING SHE HAS BEEN DOING SINCE THE EARLY 1970'S, A LONG RUN SHE SEES NO POINT IN ENDING WITH RETIREMENT.

>> WHAT WOULD I WANT TO DO INSTEAD?

I CANNOT EVEN THINK OF WHAT THAT WOULD BE.

I JUST FEEL SO FORTUNATE BECAUSE I HAVE GOTTEN TO DO WHATEVER I WANT TO DO.

AND I AM STILL HAVING JUST AS MUCH FUN AS I EVER HAVE.

♪