From pandemic project to publication
WEST MILFORD. Children’s book introduces readers to body parts and promotes literacy through the use of sight words.
| 30 Jul 2025 | 08:46
Eva Treistman of Hewitt and her daughter, Zoe, promote her children’s book, ‘I Cannot Find My Belly Button!’
The book’s cover has a button that children can press for sensory stimulation.
Author Eva Treistman with her husband, Greg, and their daughter, Zoe.
Eva Treistman of Hewitt signs copies of her children’s book, ‘I Cannot Find My Belly Button!’
The coronavirus pandemic was a challenging time for many, marked by isolation and uncertainty.
For Eva Treistman of Hewitt, it sparked an unexpected creative journey.
Amid family responsibilities and global upheaval, she leaned into her lifelong love of storytelling and rhyme and turned it into something remarkable.
Treistman is anything but ordinary. A graduate of the prestigious Parsons School of Design, she has a dynamic background spanning fashion, finance, wellness and writing.
She is the president of Financial Planning Group, a licensed insurance agent, a market researcher, a yoga instructor at the Upper Greenwood Lake Clubhouse, and a devoted hunter of gems and “booty.”
Her earlier writing credits include poems for Highlights magazine and children’s stories, such as “I Cannot Find My Socks.”
She lives on Upper Greenwood Lake with her husband, Greg; their daughter, Zoe; and their cat, Xerxes.
Learning body parts
During the 2020 lockdown, while reading bedtime stories to Zoe, inspiration struck Treistman.
She realized that she could write something better than what she was reading - something fun, educational and engaging.
The result is “I Cannot Find My Belly Button!,” a whimsical and beautifully illustrated board book that introduces young readers to body parts, encourages self-discovery and promotes literacy through the use of sight words.
Sight words are commonly used words that children are encouraged to memorize by recognition.
A standout feature of the book is its interactive, tactile “belly button” on the cover, a clear fidget-style button that children can press for sensory stimulation.
Treistman began drafting the book in 2020.
30,000 copies printed
Through a Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) conference, she connected with literary agent Lisa Royce, who believed in the manuscript from the start.
By 2022, after rounds of editing and illustration, the book was picked up by Hachette Book Group, with 30,000 copies printed and distributed in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Treistman is especially proud that Indigenous Australian children have access to the book.
Though the book is only available in English, she plans to release translations in multiple languages with English subtitles to support both native language learning and English as a second language.
Treistman said the biggest creative challenges were coming up with the title and crafting the ending.
While the book took five years from idea to publication, she emphasizes that creativity follows no specific timeline.
Since the book’s release, Treistman has been busy with signings and readings, including events at four Montessori schools in Washington, D.C., and appearances at libraries and schools.
The official launch took place April 29 at the iconic Books of Wonder in New York City.
A fall book tour in Ohio is in the works.
What’s next for Treistman?
She wants to write musicals, television scripts, a tween novel as well as more books.