A new children’s picture book by Grant Lawrence is what the author describes as a kids-eye-view of what it was like for he and his sister to be dragged reluctantly to their cabin by his dad.
Illustrations by Vancouver artist Ginger Ngo in Adventures in Desolation Sound capture the unique beauty of the marine park and caricatures of both Lawrence and his sister. The story is a thoughtful reflection on the seemingly new and modern battle of the screens.
"In 2024, many parents feel they are fighting a losing battle with screens," said Lawrence. "However, in 1984, my sister and I were also addicted to a screen: it was called the television set."
Lawrence said in order to get them away from endless daily reruns of the television sitcoms, The Love Boat, The Brady Bunch and Three’s Company, their dad would take them out to the wilderness.
The book will be released at the end of August and features stories about Lawrence and his sister meeting real-life characters like the Cougar Lady and Russell the Hermit.
Lawrence had been thinking about writing a children's book for about 15 years when his publisher at Harbour Publishing suggested a children's version of his first book, Adventures in Solitude, but from the perspective of Lawrence as a child.
"This would be going back to the early 1980s, with my dad dragging my family quite reluctantly out to the wilderness," said Lawrence. "We didn't want to go; my sister and I were quite addicted to television."
History repeats itself
Similar to many kids growing up at that time, Lawrence and his sister wanted to sit on the couch and watch what were called reruns of popular television shows.
"My dad was worried about this," said Lawrence. "What's amazing about it, is that it's the same battle parents face today. It's the battle against the screen, and the only difference is that the screen has become portable."
Humour and inspiration
Lawrence said the book is based in a time and place that seems far away, but is relatable to both children and their parents in 2024.
"My sister and I, we went cold turkey [from watching television], and at first, we were crawling up the wall, but it worked,” he added. “We found enjoyment, excitement, pleasure and inspiration through boredom, and through the wilderness and realizing what was around us."
For Ngo, this was her first kids book, and Lawrence said he enjoyed collaborating with her on the project.
"She's had a really good sense of humour and that humour comes out in the drawings and in the illustrations,” said Lawrence. "We were kids who were kind of scared of our own shadow, but we also met real life characters like Cougar Nancy Crowther from Penrose Bay and then Russell the Hermit, who was a big figure for me in my childhood."
Although Ngo had never been to Desolation Sound, Lawrence would show her photos of the characters he met and the local flora and fauna.
"I showed her photos of Russell and Nancy and photos of the cabin," said Lawrence. "But I also wanted her to just use her imagination."
Lawrence said although he didn't want the illustrations to look like a field guide, he did want to capture the unique characteristics of what a quillback rockfish looks like or what a merganser’s defining features look like, for example.
Unique animals and landscapes
"Everything I do, I always write from a local perspective and then hope people enjoy it outside of our local environment," said Lawrence. "If someone local is reading it [his books], I want them to be able to say, yes, that looks like a merganser or that looks like a red rock crab or a lingcod, or whatever the case may be."
The adventure-packed picture book for children ages four to seven captures the Lawrence family’s drive up the windy Sunshine Coast Highway and the boat trip to their rustic cabin, with a toilet outside, and what at first Lawrence thought were weird neighbours.
Eventually Lawrence and his sister Heather came around and began to enjoy life without television, at least while they are out in the wilds of Desolation Sound.
Books is for kids and adults
"This book is [written] on two different levels," said Lawrence. "It's for the kids, and it's for the parents. Hopefully the parents can see themselves in it, because we all battle the screen.
"One of the points I wanted to make for the adults is that history repeats itself and that the battle against the screen is not a new thing.”
Lawrence said his new book is an exercise in perspective, of how things change and how some things don't really change that much.
"I just hope kids enjoy the adventure of the book," said Lawrence. "The barfing [during the windy car ride], the ferry boats, the animals and the weird people who we become friends with."
That was another lesson Lawrence wanted to convey to his readers.
"You can meet people who are different from you, and that you can become friends with," he said. "It's important to remember that, to find the common ground."
Lawrence is now bringing his own young son out to the wilds of the qathet region and passing on his love of the area to him.
"Our favourite thing to do is get out on the water and find new places to swim," said Lawrence. "The most exciting adventure we've had so far this year is we've ventured all the way up to Toba Inlet."
Going through Humphrey Channel and heading north to Toba Inlet is unlike Desolation Sound, with its warm waters and cute little islands, he added.
"It's a glacial inlet and the water turns turquoise, and there are huge waterfalls that go right into the ocean," said Lawrence. "Then there's an estuary there, where there are grizzly bears moseying along the shoreline and either fishing in the river or chowing down the nutrient-rich shoreline grass."
To preorder Adventures in Desolation Sound, go to grantlawrence.ca/store.
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