Night Buddies began as something personal: stories shared between a father and son at bedtime. John invented a red, talking crocodile named Crosley, and Sands and John continued developing the character together through months of bedtime story give-and-take. In Sands’ public Q&A, he recalls that they had been playing with the Crosley character for as much as a year when the idea for a book suddenly clicked. At first, he imagined one book rather than a full series. Those early stories eventually became the world of Programs, the Borough, whatchamacallits, pineapple cheesecakes, and the unusual cast that surrounds John and Crosley

Sands’ writing combines mystery, fantasy, humor, invented language, eccentric characters, and the familiar childhood experience of not being ready for bed. His Night Buddies stories turn that ordinary bedtime moment into a doorway to an entire nighttime world. On the Night Buddies site, Sands has also written about storytelling, setting, children’s books, and authors who influenced him. He has described Roald Dahl as an important writing inspiration, particularly Dahl’s use of imagination, distinctive child-centered voices, humor, and willingness to create stories that are not overly polished or predictable.