Local family writes children’s book called Henry BIGtree, author reads to kids in Blue Eye
Holly Hart, who lives near Blue Eye, wrote the book along with her daughter-in-law and her grandson.
Kadee Brosseau DeCourley
A family farm in Blue Eye is the setting of a new children's book called Henry BIGtree's 100th Birthday Party.
Holly Hart, who lives near Blue Eye, wrote the book along with her daughter-in-law Dawn Blackard and her grandson Ryker Thornton. Hart said the idea for the book came when her grandson asked her to tell him a story several years ago.
"My grandson was sitting next to me on the couch and he said 'Nana Holly, tell me a story.' I think he was in Kindergarten [at the time]," Hart explained. "I looked out the window and we had a giant White Oak. It has now passed away since that time. It was very, very old and big, one of the old big ones. I just started telling him about this. I named it. I said 'That's Henry BIGtree right there and at night when we go to sleep, he comes out of the ground and he takes all of the animals for a ride.' He just looked at me, like, 'what?!'"
Little Ryker was so interested in the story that he shared it with his mother, who soon turned the story into a poem. Once the poem was written, the three decided to turn the story into a children's book.
"It has been a long process. We finally got it published and it is for sale on Amazon. We just got it on Amazon in December. Now, we are promoting and just trying to get everyone used to a tree that pulls its roots out of the ground and gives animals a ride," Hart explained.
Last Thursday, March 24, Hart read Henry BIGtree's 100th Birthday Party to a group of children at the Blue Eye Library. While the kids enjoyed the artwork and the story, Hart said they seemed to most enjoy it when the tree came to life.
"I think [their favorite part] was when they saw the roots come out of the ground," Hart said.
The artwork for Henry BIGtree is by an artist the family met while at a book show in Denver, Colorado. Hart said they were drawn to the classic feel of the artwork and chose the artist based on the realistic yet uplifting look of the pictures.
"[The artist] read the story at the Denver book show and she's like 'oh, my gosh!' She could just see what she could do," Hart said.
Hart said creating a book with her family has been a joy, especially because the story stems from a personal story and shared family experience of loving the big tree on the farm.
"I love trees and just the idea that maybe we can get other people to appreciate trees and how magical I think they are. Not that they are going to pull their roots out, but there is a lot more to trees that anyone knows," Hart said.
The book beautifully depicts the tree withstanding the tests of time. In the beginning, there is a drawing of Henry BIGtree when it was first being planted. A wagon and an outhouse portray the farm in the 1800s. In the end, there is a modern farmhouse with solar panels and a tractor with Henry BIGtree standing big and strong.
"It's neat to see what the tree looks like now. It has experienced all these generations. It has seen all of this life around it," Hart said.
Hart said they will have another public reading and signing of the book on May 21 at 11 a.m. at Barnes and Noble in Springfield.
However, Hart said this likely isn't the end of Henry BIGtree's story.
"We have come up with a new story, a continuation of Henry BIGtree," Hart said.
The idea for the next book is titled: The Millionth Acorn.
Hart and her family invite people of all ages to get involved in Henry BIGtree's story, and hope readers will enjoy the story as much as they do.
A family farm in Blue Eye is the setting of a new children's book called Henry BIGtree's 100th Birthday Party.
Holly Hart, who lives near Blue Eye, wrote the book along with her daughter-in-law Dawn Blackard and her grandson Ryker Thornton. Hart said the idea for the book came when her grandson asked her to tell him a story several years ago.
"My grandson was sitting next to me on the couch and he said 'Nana Holly, tell me a story.' I think he was in Kindergarten [at the time]," Hart explained. "I looked out the window and we had a giant White Oak. It has now passed away since that time. It was very, very old and big, one of the old big ones. I just started telling him about this. I named it. I said 'That's Henry BIGtree right there and at night when we go to sleep, he comes out of the ground and he takes all of the animals for a ride.' He just looked at me, like, 'what?!'"
Little Ryker was so interested in the story that he shared it with his mother, who soon turned the story into a poem. Once the poem was written, the three decided to turn the story into a children's book.
"It has been a long process. We finally got it published and it is for sale on Amazon. We just got it on Amazon in December. Now, we are promoting and just trying to get everyone used to a tree that pulls its roots out of the ground and gives animals a ride," Hart explained.
Last Thursday, March 24, Hart read Henry BIGtree's 100th Birthday Party to a group of children at the Blue Eye Library. While the kids enjoyed the artwork and the story, Hart said they seemed to most enjoy it when the tree came to life.
"I think [their favorite part] was when they saw the roots come out of the ground," Hart said.
The artwork for Henry BIGtree is by an artist the family met while at a book show in Denver, Colorado. Hart said they were drawn to the classic feel of the artwork and chose the artist based on the realistic yet uplifting look of the pictures.
"[The artist] read the story at the Denver book show and she's like 'oh, my gosh!' She could just see what she could do," Hart said.
Hart said creating a book with her family has been a joy, especially because the story stems from a personal story and shared family experience of loving the big tree on the farm.
"I love trees and just the idea that maybe we can get other people to appreciate trees and how magical I think they are. Not that they are going to pull their roots out, but there is a lot more to trees that anyone knows," Hart said.
The book beautifully depicts the tree withstanding the tests of time. In the beginning, there is a drawing of Henry BIGtree when it was first being planted. A wagon and an outhouse portray the farm in the 1800s. In the end, there is a modern farmhouse with solar panels and a tractor with Henry BIGtree standing big and strong.
"It's neat to see what the tree looks like now. It has experienced all these generations. It has seen all of this life around it," Hart said.
Hart said they will have another public reading and signing of the book on May 21 at 11 a.m. at Barnes and Noble in Springfield.
However, Hart said this likely isn't the end of Henry BIGtree's story.
"We have come up with a new story, a continuation of Henry BIGtree," Hart said.
The idea for the next book is titled: The Millionth Acorn.
Hart and her family invite people of all ages to get involved in Henry BIGtree's story, and hope readers will enjoy the story as much as they do.