When Clarke Watson was taking middle school English with now-retired Custer County teacher and former principal Barb Jones, he never thought his creative writing classes would ever lead to him publishing his own children’s book. Clarke, who graduated from Custer County High School in 2006, swung by the Tribune last month while visiting his parents, John and Elizabeth Watson, to drop off a copy and talk about his new work.
“I guess Mrs. Jones’s passion for books and literature really wore off on me,” Clarke grinned as he handed over a copy of his book, “Eating with Animals.”
The book is lovingly dedicated to his niece and nephew, Elle and Charlie Maul. “When I visited, I liked to read to them. But a lot of the books available in the bookstores often came loaded with a bunch of cultural messaging,” Clarke explained. “I wanted a book that was just fun and entertaining.”
Clarke, who works as a copywriter, made the classic mistake of all beginning authors by thinking to himself, “How hard could it really be to write a kid’s book?” He laughed, “A lot more goes into it than I thought at first.”
For over a year, Clarke worked with his college friend Carly Martin on the artwork of the book. “It was the first time either one of us had worked on a project like this.” But it has to be said that the charming pictures work seamlessly with the poetic lines of Clarke’s ample imagination.
The final product is precisely what Clarke set out to achieve, and we are sure children will love this book for decades to come. Plus, he gave a copy to Barb Jones.
To order visit Amazon.com. Also visit the book’s website at https://www.booksbyclarke.com/
– Jordan Hedberg