I’ve been a writer, cook, mom, dog-enthusiast, and churchgoer most of my life. So, after eight cute, silly stories about runaway poodles, upside-down gardens, untethered birthday parties, I decided to try something new. Something different. Something spiritual.
For quite a few years, I sat and thought about what shape my story would take. Everything from topic to age-range to story details was up in the air. I knew I wanted to write—just didn’t know what. I would sit in church and contemplate Christian ideas and traditions and nothing came to me. It was not at all like the other books, when some experience would spur a tale. It was only when I sat in a pew, my eye catching a crack in the wall of the old church. I wonder what’s in there? I thought. Imagine a mouse coming out in the middle of a service. What would happen? And it was from there that I began my writing journey. A little mouse who found its way in through a crack in the wall.
From there, the story began to take shape. A mouse would be frightened in a room full of people, not to mention the organ pumping and incense burning. So, I knew it. The theme would be faith. Faith over fear. As the weeks went on, the character came into vision, the setting was clear, the message cemented in stone. I added more characters, tension, problem/solution and ,what I hope is an inspirational tale, was written. Then edited. Then illustrated. Finally printed. Look Up, Little Mouse is a sweet and sometimes scary adventure, as one little mouse negotiates with familiar animals, who help him learn a lesson about fear: believing in yourself and in God.
Strangely enough, I used a hawk, butterfly and dove; not consciously realizing that the dove, which I chose for its gentle nature, was highly symbolic in the Christian faith. The dove taught a valuable lesson—when in doubt, when in trouble, when you don’t know where to turn, look up.
At first, I wasn’t sure of the acceptance of a Christian book into my catalog of work. Both Christian and public schools knew my work. So, how would public schools perceive a Christian book in a non-secular setting? Surprisingly positive. It’s not for everyone. But a good teaching tool for children, and reminder for the rest of us.
www.wellbredbook.net
Look Up, Little Mouse