Julie Andrews Grateful For Career As Actress, Author

ORLANDO, Fla. -- You would think an illustrious career that has brought millions of people joy with such classics films as "The Sound of Music," "Mary Poppins" and "Victor/Victoria" would allow a performer to rest easy on their laurels.

But that's not the case with legendary entertainer Julie Andrews.

That's because at 68, Dame Andrews is exercising her creative energy more than ever, bringing her unique talents back to the fold as a children's book author. She previously authored the children's books (with Ursula Nordstrom) "Mandy" and "The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles" in the 1970s -- but these days she's teaming up with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton.

The idea to get back into the book business actually came several years ago during Thanksgiving dinner, when Andrews, Hamilton and their family were discussing what each were thankful for over the previous year. When it came to a family friend's turn, she started singing a song named "Grateful" -- and the idea of a new children's book was born.

"It's based on a beautiful song by (Broadway composer) John Bucchino," Andrews told me in a recent interview. "He wrote the music and the lyrics and it says all the things that matter. And we thought, 'How wonderful to try and illustrate it?' So we did and packaged it with a CD, which is sung by Art Garfunkel."

Dubbed "The Julie Andrews Collection," the new series of books debuted in August with "Grateful," and "Dumpy and the Firefighters," which were followed by "Blue Wolf" and "Simeon's Gift" in September. Since it's an imprint effort, the collection also includes new works by established and emerging authors, as well as out-of-print gems worthy of another printing.

I recently caught up with Andrews in Orlando, where the performer introduced Walt Disney World's new fireworks attraction "Wishes." Thankful for the crowd's response to her surprise appearance, Andrews (whose pen name is Julie Andrews-Edwards -- she's married to famed director Blake Edwards) told me that it wasn't by accident that the theme of being grateful flows throughout her book collection.

"I've been so spoiled and I've been so blessed," Andrews said. "I've been allowed to try my hand at so many different things and also, I've so enjoyed my life. I am very grateful."

The latest release in the collection, "Simeon's Gift," is a magical tale about a young musician who sets out on a journey of self-discovery. Andrews told me that her acting background often -- if only subconsciously -- creeps into her work as an author.

"(It happens) probably more than even I realize," Andrews explained. "I know that when I'm writing I do think of the bigger picture in terms of, if I think big enough, let's say a children's novel, one of my children's novels, I envisage, on a screen so I write slightly bigger than it is and it helps me shape it and I'm sure that's just influenced my day job."

But sometimes, she said, her involvement as a performer is by design.

"When I package them with CDs, I'm embracing all the things I know -- the musical side of me and the side that loves to write and the side that visually loves beautiful drawings and pictures," Andrews said.

Like her film projects, Andrew's objective is to first entertain her audiences with her books; but she doesn't mind that they become informed, too.

"Somehow if I bring a new word to a child, if I inspire a child to learn to read, to help it to learn to read, then I've done something good and that helps," Andrews said, humbly. "And occasionally I will slip in a new word that maybe they haven't heard, just so they say, 'Mommy what does that mean?'"

While Andrews promises to return to film (she's reprising her role for the upcoming sequel to "The Princess Diaries" and voicing the role of Princess Fiona's mother in "Shrek 2" this summer), she's hard at work on a children's novel and heading up a literary campaign with the Target Corp. in Minneapolis.

"I have long been an advocate for reading to children from long before they can even know what a consonant or a vowel is," Andrews said. "Just read to them, with a child sitting on your lap, trace the page with your finger, and have them ask questions and get them involved, because they'll learn to read so quickly that way. I'm very proud to be heading up this whole new drive."