The Story Behind the Story
Once upon a time, a little boy (my husband, Ryan) told his mom that he felt he was living in a Denim Jungle, surrounded by jean-clad legs towering above.
His mom, Sue, held onto this idea for 30 years, convinced that The Denim Jungle would make a memorable kids’ book with a sweet message for adults, too.
Months after my first child (Sue’s granddaughter) was born, Sue lost her long, valiant battle with breast cancer. Before she left, she entrusted her Denim Jungle dream to me, her daughter-in-law, “the writer.”
But we all know the best children’s books are as much about the pictures as the story. So I enlisted the help of Jackie Phillips of Precious Beast to bring The Denim Jungle from words to world.
I humbly hope we’ve made Sue’s dream come true, just as she made so many dreams come true with her open-armed love, cheerleading, and support.
I now leave you with this fairytale ending…
Dream. Reach out. Imagine. Believe. Take time to enjoy the little things—because in the end, they’re really the big things.
THE DENIM JUNGLE 