GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- A Lowell graphic designer and mother of three plans to publish her first written and illustrated children's book next month, titled, "I'd Rather Be a Dragon."
“Instead of illustrating being an idea that, ‘oh, maybe I’ll do that one day,’ I’m like well why isn’t now some day?” said Katie Newell.
Newell says it's be a long-time dream to write and illustrate a children's book. So she drew two illustrations that became the first two pages of her book about two years later. Then, she started a Kickstarter campaign to raise $4,500 to publish it, which as of Thursday raised nearly $12,000.
Newell is dedicating her book to her three children who she says were her inspiration.
“They were a major inspiration for the book and it was just about marching to your own imagination and not really caring about what other people say about you and just kind of doing your own thing," said Newell.
"I'd Rather Be a Dragon" tells the story of an imaginative girl who feels like she doesn't quite fit in, though she learns to look at things in a new light, allowing her talents to shine.
“There’s a few parts in the book where she starts to kind of get down on herself because she’s not a good dancer, or she’s forgetful and loses things, and is clumsy," said Newell, "but then on the next page she’ll find like a good quality in herself she can draw or do something else.”
“It takes those things that we don’t like about ourselves and turns them on their head, so she looks at it from a different way. I think that’s a good lesson for kids to learn.”
Newell says she plans to use the money raised online to publish her first 1,000 books, which she already has about 500 orders for worldwide. She also expects her book to be in local stores before Christmas, including in Lowell and Rockford.
To learn more or order a copy of "I'd Rather Be a Dragon," see the Fieldstone Press website.
