Muddy Spokes is my very first children’s book, and I am both the writer and illustrator. The story follows an endearing wheel around town and it’s filled with comedy, trouble, excitement and a whole lot of mud!
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Released on June 11, 2024, Muddy Spokes earned #1 Bestseller in one of Amazon’s categories along with #3, #4 and #6 in other categories and made the Top 100 list! This book has my whole artistic soul poured into it. Not only did I create the unique character, concept and story, but I was also determined to revisit my passion for drawing by teaching myself to illustrate. It was exciting, challenging and oh-so satisfying as I saw my creative vision come to life. And now, I’m thrilled to be sharing it with you.
Why I wrote the Book
To be honest, I was planning to write a different book first – nothing to do with a children’s audience, either. But when this idea came to mind, I knew I had to bring it to life. Little did I know I was also going to illustrate the whole thing and have it take up many more months than originally anticipated, but there are zero regrets from my end. This has been my ‘happy project’ from start to finish.
I wrote Muddy Spokes to tell kids a story about resilience and resourcefulness. There are a lot of children’s books out there right now about feelings and emotions, but the saturation isn’t the same for these topics. And I just so happen to believe strongly that these double-R qualities are two of the most critical that we can impart on our younger generation. Muddy Spokes does it in a comical, fun and easy way!
Who it’s for
Muddy Spokes is for children aged 4-10. It’s a smooth and easy read, but there are also a couple more sophisticated words in there that I’m anticipating a few may ask “what does that mean?” And just so you know, this is absolutely intentional. It’s a deliberate way to expand young readers’ vocabularies and challenge them to learn a greater repertoire of words.
For teachers and educators, I invite you to stock this book in your school libraries and read it in your classrooms. I am always happy to do author visits, readings and in-school talks and presentations to go along with my literature.
The storyline
Perfect for children ages 4 to 10, Muddy Spokes takes you on a comical ride through the town. It’s anything but a smooth morning, however, and Spokes gets into a bit of trouble winding up covered in mud – a real problem for a wheel who’s trying to make it to school on time! Spokes is lost, running late and moving super sl-o-o-o-o-wly. How will this sweet and lovable little wheel pull out of this mess?
It’s going to take strength, determination and a wee bit of courage.
This is a story of resilience for our younger generation because I truly believe it is one of the greatest teachings we can impart on our children. After all, life is full of mud. And we all get a little muddy sometimes, don’t we? The mud isn’t the problem. It’s what we do next that counts.
Giving back
Part of all proceeds from Muddy Spokes will be donated to children’s charities. I donate to a variety of causes including medical care, health, food, education and extracurriculars.
This means that when you buy a copy of Muddy Spokes, you’re making a small difference somewhere in the world.
I offer volume discounts to schools and other organizations. If you’d like a visit from me, I am more than happy to facilitate author meet-and-greets, readings and presentations that revolve around Muddy Spokes’ key messages on resilience and resourcefulness.