I still can't quite believe I'm saying this...
My 7-year-old wrote a book. And we actually turned it into a REAL book!
What started as one of Dean's wild, creative ideas has officially become Wonder Pup vs. the Slime Monster — his very first published story.
And honestly, watching this little idea grow into an actual book that we can hold in our hands has been pretty incredible.
It Started With a Puppy
Earlier this year, Marshall joined our family.
Marshall is an Australian Shepherd and Blue Heeler mix with plenty of puppy energy, and it didn't take long for him to become more than just Dean's puppy.
He became a superhero.
Well... at least in Dean's imagination.
Dean has always loved making up stories and creating things, so eventually Marshall became the inspiration for a brave little superhero named Wonder Pup.
And once Wonder Pup existed, apparently he needed a villain.
Enter...
THE SLIME MONSTER. 💚
From a Kid's Imagination to a Real Story
The story started exactly where you'd expect a story written by a 7-year-old to start:
With a completely normal trip to the bus stop that quickly becomes VERY not normal.
A mysterious ghost bus appears asking for Wonder Pup's help, sending him on an adventure that eventually leads him to the roof of City Hall.
Waiting for him there?
A giant, gooey Slime Monster covering the roof in sticky green slime.
Wonder Pup might be small, but he's determined to figure out how to save the day.
The story is silly. It's adventurous. It's a little weird.
And it is so Dean.
That's probably my favorite thing about the entire book.
Then We Decided... Why Not Make It Real?
At some point during all of this, we stopped treating it like just another story Dean had made up and started wondering:
Could we actually make this into a book?
So that's exactly what we did.
Dean created the story and characters, and then we started the very long process of turning his ideas into actual pages.
We used AI to help create the illustrations, but there was a LOT more that went into bringing Dean's vision to life than I ever expected.
We changed scenes.
Moved characters.
Fixed words.
Changed them again.
Moved text so it wouldn't get cut off during printing.
Changed the weather.
Changed Wonder Pup.
Moved things AGAIN.
And I have officially spent more time thinking about green slime than I ever thought I would in my adult life. 😂
But little by little, page by page, it started looking like a real children's book.
And Then the Proof Copy Arrived
This was the moment everything changed for me.
Seeing the story on a computer screen was one thing.
Seeing Dean's name printed on an actual book was completely different.
He's seven.
He's in second grade.
And he has a book with his name on it.
I don't care if we sell five copies or five hundred — that part alone makes this whole crazy project worth it.
There is something pretty special about showing a kid that one of their big, weird, creative ideas doesn't have to stay an idea.
Sometimes you can actually make the thing.
This Is Only the Beginning
One of the things Dean is most excited about is that the money from his books isn't just going into his piggy bank.
Proceeds will help us create and print more of his books, along with helping with Marshall's training.
Because apparently Wonder Pup has more villains to fight.
And knowing Dean...
I'm sure there will be plenty of them. 😂
We're also hoping to bring copies along to some of the markets and festivals where the kids already spend so much time helping me with Cluck & Stitches.
There is something that feels very full-circle about Dean spending all this time watching me make things, set up booths, sell handmade products and chase my own little business ideas...
and now having something he created sitting on that table too.
Meet Wonder Pup
Thank You for Cheering Dean On!
This has been such a fun, chaotic, completely unexpected family project.
And if you've followed Cluck & Stitches for a while, bought something from us at a market, shared one of our posts, encouraged Dean when he's been helping at the booth, or you're simply here reading this...
thank you.
You're watching a 7-year-old learn that his imagination can turn into something real.
And I think that's pretty darn cool.
🐾 Wonder Pup vs. the Slime Monster — written by Dean, age 7.
Stay tuned.
I have a feeling Wonder Pup's adventures are just getting started. 💚
— Jess
Cluck & Stitches