“Mama and the Indians”- Family Story Becomes Great Children’s Book

After they married in Kirtland, Ohio in 1840, John Boice and Mary Ann Barzee lived in Nauvoo until the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were chased out of Illinois in 1846. They migrated to Utah with the Mormon pioneers, and settled on the Camas Prairie, about 40 miles east of Salt Lake City.

Before their call to settle that area, they adopted an Indian girl. While they were living at Camas, they encountered some difficulties with the Indians but the situation was defused when their adopted daughter’s father happened to be among the Indians on whose hunting grounds the settlers were encroaching. As they had been promised by their bishop when they initially adopted Alpharetta, that decision turned into a blessing for the family.

We met LaShon Evans at our Rememberize booth at Provo Freedom Days. This story comes from her family’s history, and she wanted to find a unique way to share it. I enjoyed working with LaShon as she wrote the text for a children’s book, told from the perspective of John and Mary Ann’s son, Martin. “Mama and the Indians” turned into a great project for that family, with help from Daisy Jeffords, who provided some amazing illustrations that really enhance the storytelling experience.

Because LaShon wrote her own text and provided her own illustrator, the costs of the project were minimized. Rememberize can help with writing and illustrations, but we love working with you where you are. In this case, the children’s book was a great family project for LaShon, and the finished product made a fantastic Christmas gift.

Have your own family stories that lend themselves to a children’s book format? Let us know how we can help.