Honestly, I didn't set out to write a children's book, but rather to create a teachable moment. Grow, Little One, Grow was originally written as a programming piece for a sermon at New Hope Christian Fellowship in Hilo, Hawaii. We like to use creative arts to help people understand and apply what the bible teaches. In this case, the message was titled, "We Are Responsible to Grow." I wrote the story, placed it in a homemade cover and it was read while a picture of the orchard was painted by an artist. People began to ask me for the book as if it were "real". I didn't realize the gift that I held in my hands until I left the service that day.

What motivated you to write Grow, Little One, Grow?

What message are you trying to communicate through the story?

       The message of Grow, Little One, Grow, is that each one of us is responsible for our own growth. While this includes all aspects of growth, my main focus is spiritual growth. We can affect our own spiritual growth by the choices we make. We can choose to wait until someone comes along to teach us or we can choose to grow by seeking out opportunities to learn on our own, such as reading our Bibles and attending regular classes and services.

How did you choose the characters for the story?

       Watching a seed grow into a fruit-bearing plant is an excellent way to understand growth. I wanted to communicate the difference between a person who chooses to grow and a person who sits there and does nothing. It can be offensive when you say it like that, but Grow, Little One, Grow tells it in parable fashion using cute little seeds to bring the message in a more gentle way. The addition of the farmer and his son came in the second draft, it added an element of symbolism and made it easier for people to relate to.

How did you complete the illustrations for Grow, Little One, Grow?

       With a lot of help! It was a family project. My oldest son, Daniel, loves art and hopes to become a video animator someday. This came easily for him. For the rest of us, illustrating was a challenge, but we each contributed--Mike researched and practiced and did a great job with the father and son, Noah discovered that he could create beautiful masterpieces with paint, sponges and swabs, and I used Photoshop to pull it all together. It went from "my book," to "our book" and that makes it really special to my family.

Did you ever imagine that you would publish a book? What did you learn in the process?

       Publishing a book has been a dream of mine for a long time, but I never imagined that it would happen like this. God allowed me to write a story that I had lived--I was a little seed for a long time before I learned that I had to seek God for myself if I wanted to grow. Through all of this I have learned that the result of seeking God is that He does amazing things with our lives, including allowing us to realize our dreams.

Do you have any other projects planned?

       One of the byproducts of pursuing this dream is that it has encouraged my children to dream. They have already shared their ideas on what their role in the "next book" will be. Whatever the future holds, my biggest project at the moment is to help each of them acquire the skills and knowledge they will need to see their own dreams come true.

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