Origins

I would like to dive a little deeper into what makes this project tick. There is a lot going on in these few pages I want to share with all of you. Bumper’s Garage is a little unconventional as far as children’s books go. The illustrations were done by an extremely talented guy who had never illustrated a children’s book before. I wanted them to appeal to the people that were actually going to be buying the book. Adults! I wanted this to be a coffee table kids book. To date I have sold more than a few copies destined to live out their lives on top of toolboxes, in a man cave, maybe even on a coffee table. Then there’s the word count. Bumper’s Garage has words; a lot of them, at least for a book like this. It spans a wide age range from wee little tikes with healthy attention spans, all the way up to those in the double digits who still enjoy pictures but like a little more story to go with them.  

 Another thing that is a little unusual about Bumper’s Garage is that Steve may, or may not be the hero. We’ll have to see how that plays out. It is very common in kids’ books and television shows for the kid stars to be the hero. They know it all and can do it all and often end up schooling their elders and foiling the plans of the bad guys all on their own. Now, I’m all about encouraging and empowering kids, especially my own, but there’s a very specific point I’m trying to make in my story. Kids need to be taught. Nobody is born with all the skills. Take a look at the pictures here.

The old guy is me, the older chap is my uncle Harold, and the oldest fellow is my granddad Gerald. You’ll probably be getting to know them in the future, so for now I’ll tell you they’re both pilots spanning many decades and logging thousands of hours of flight time. My granddad Gerald, long before my parents even met, actually taught my other granddad how to fly in a plane just like the one in the picture. These guys have played a part in teaching me everything I know. I’m closer to 40 now than I’d like to admit, and I still continue to learn from them on a daily basis. Literally on a daily basis as I now spend my days wrenching on old airplanes under the instruction of uncle Harold.

 This process of learning and those who make it possible is the hero of my story. Mentorship and machines. I hope you enjoy the first book in Bumper’s Garage, unconventional as it may be, and hang around to see how the story ends.

 And for all the little Steves out there, by all means, go out and be the hero of your own story. Just don’t forget where you came from and who helped you get there.