In my last post, I introduced you to two of the four children who got tangled up in my imagination and became Samantha in the BlueBeary stories from Open Eyes Books. First, there was my student named Samantha. Then there was my son Zachary.

Third, the storybook Samantha is like my younger son, Zephan. Samantha has a tendency to worry and over-think things. That is just because she really wants to do well at what she tries. Like Zephan, Samantha is loyal. Zephan has a stuffed animal named Beary. His Beary has been mended on every seam on his little body, has lost most of his stuffing, and has had his nose completely rubbed off, but he still holds a special place in our home today. In the same way Samantha would never throw out her bear just because he fell in the mud and ended up blue and brown instead of white (see BlueBeary or Samantha’s First Story to find out more about his colour change).

Fourth, Samantha looks like my daughter Miriah. I asked Rebekah Joy Plett, our illustrator, to model the character after photos of Miriah. Of course my only daughter must be the face of Samantha!

Do you see how we begin to see ourselves in our stories? Even though a story might not have "really happened," as I write I begin to recognize people I know, places I have been, and things that have happened to me, all mirrored in the story.

Does Samantha remind you of anyone?

Sugar and spice and everything nice. That’s what little girls are made of . . . except Samantha. She is more of a snails and puppy dog tails type, but not slugs. Yuck!

Children love to hear stories about who my characters are based on. Samantha’s origin is one of their favourites. In my teaching, I tell the children that we create characters from bits and pieces of people we know, kind of like using Lego ™ body parts to make your own people. Samantha represents all the children I teach and what I hope they learn, and she is based on not one but four children who got tangled up in my imagination.

First, Samantha got her name from the little girl who brought her blue bear for show and tell and gave me the idea for the first Open Eyes Book: BlueBeary. I wrote the story to share with her class, not imagining that it would grow into something more.

Second, Samantha‘s personality is much like my son Zachary. She is brave and inquisitive. She often jumps into new situations before thinking about the consequences, because she really believes she can do anything if she tries hard enough. Sometimes she gets in over her head and needs to be rescued.

I think children enjoy this story because they see how each person who influences a character is important to me. Everyone wants to be important to someone. Everyone longs to have someone who loves them best of all and promises to pick them up, scrub them off and assure them that they belong together.

In my next post I will tell you about the other two children, and next week I will share with you a letter from the real Samantha!

In the meantime, I’d love to hear about a story character who reminds you of someone you know. What makes them similar?

Jim Christenson is one of my heroes and I am so pleased that he will be the model for the grandfather in A Very BlueBeary Christmas.

Do you know the story of a man in the ancient Middle East named Job? Job was very rich and successful, yet he experienced complete ruin. Even so, he did not blame, accuse or curse God.

Jim is such a man. We have watched him go through multiple trials with grace, dignity and a servant’s heart: the loss of a child, bouts with cancer, illness in family members, the loss of his wife, and life threatening illness.

Jim is not sitting around waiting for people to look after his needs. He is at soccer camp being the Grandpa to the lonely child. He is at church events welcoming newcomers. He stacks chairs, sets up tables and washes dishes. He offers words of comfort to those who mourn, visits the sick and talks to teenagers.

My teenagers told me the other day that Jim is one of the coolest people they know. Jim is not cool because he skateboards and knows local teen slang. He’s not my hero because he can leap tall buildings in a single bound. In fact, there are days lately where he might say it’s hard to get out of bed. Jim is one of my heroes because he has shown our family how to live well in the face of just about anything life has to offer.

There is a secret to Jim’s strength. He will tell you if you ask him; it is his unwavering belief in the goodness of God. Is it always easy to hold to such a belief? No. It isn’t. But it is a choice Jim has made to believe that all things work together for good, it is a choice to show others how to live well.  I see truth when I look at Jim, I see goodness, I see beauty.

Is there someone in your life who shows you these things? Please post a comment to tell us about that person. Or, if the story feels too personal yet you still want to share it, please send it to bluebeary.openeyesbooks@gmail.com. 

p.s. This picture of Jim with a new baby is the inspiration for part of my new book, A Very BlueBeary Christmas. We’re getting it ready right now to have it out in time for Christmas!

I met our new illustrator, Jessica Richter, yesterday! We had coffee at Stone’s Throw Coffeehouse in Regina near the university. I felt so artsy! Held the real, live original paintings for A Very Bluebeary Christmasin my very own hands! And I forgot to take a photo of me and the lovely Jessica Richter!

Jess said this project is such a nice break from the typical dark, depressing art student material she sees every day. Her fellow art students and professors are enjoying watching the progress and being involved in critiquing perspective and composition! BlueBeary is a bright spot on the table of the University of Regina art studio!

Kathleen always brings several original paintings from her books, creating a mini art gallery in the classroom. You can see 4 of the 6 paintings on the whiteboard ledge in McKenzie Towne Elementary School in Calgary, Alberta.

When I visit schools to talk about storytelling and writing I like to simplify the subject so that it is accessible to all the children. My goal is to help each child recognize that he or she has something worth saying.

First, I focus on why storytelling is important. I tell the children that stories help us to know and understand each other. Stories help us know who we are, where we belong, where we have been, and where we are going. They help us to feel a part of something bigger than ourselves. In telling stories we learn to recognize ourselves, both who we are and who we want to be.

So here is the simple formula I teach to children. Stories are made of three things:

1. people you know

2. places you go

3. things that happen to you.

Why don’t you try it right now? Use this three-part formula to leave a comment that tells us a little story.