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Author Tamra Martin and illustrator Jason Tinker show off the children’s book they created. Martin is holding a picture of Alex Doig, a Eugene boy who was adopted from Thailand, who served as the inspiration for the book.
What began as an idea for a simple gift for close friends has turned into much more for Tamra Martin.
Martin, 34, moved to Roseburg from Boise four years ago and works in advertising. When she learned her childhood friend, Susie Doig and Susie’s husband, Chris, were going through the process of adopting a baby boy from Thailand, she wanted to do something special and unique for the couple. She decided to write a book about the pair’s journey — traveling to a far-away country to find their destined child — and enlisted an illustrator to aid in the project.
Martin pitched her idea to her Roseburg friend, Jason Tinker, 35. It was a first project for the team. Tinker’s hobbies include airbrushing and painting cars and he has doodled his whole life, but never had he illustrated a children’s book before Martin’s request.
Both Martin and Tinker decided they didn’t like labels. Martin decided she wouldn’t mention the word adoption in the book, but rather create a story based upon two adult frogs wishing on a star for a baby and a little frog wishing on a star for a mom and dad, and the obstacles they overcome in finding each other.
“What I really wanted to capture was the intense determination and love it took for the parents to find him,” said Martin of the search by her friends. “The second they saw his picture, it was no longer ‘we’re adopting a baby,’ it was ‘that’s our son.”’
Tinker said he had trouble developing kid-friendly characters because he usually creates lifelike drawings.
“I had to get away from that to develop characters that didn’t look scary,” he said with a laugh.
After work every night and on weekends, Tinker took to his workshop, where he sat in front of a glass table lit with fluorescent lights and tried to create characters that would match Martin’s lighthearted story about a serious subject.
“The story is not about adoption, it’s about a family that is destined to be together,” said Tinker. “All the technical terms are taken out.”
Tinker decided to create an interracial book to make for an easy transition for questions from children.
“Even a really small kid can look at it and ask why the little frog is different,” said Tinker.
At first Martin was simply going to bind the pages of the book herself, but because of positive feedback and encouragement from family and friends after they read her story, she decided the book should be available beyond just the Doigs.
She felt that anyone who has gone through the process of adoption or is planning to do so would be able to relate to the book.
And after four months of struggling to perfect the text in the book, she found an independent publisher— LifeVest Publishing in Colorado.
The book became available through major bookstores two weeks ago. She had 100 copies made for local contacts, including two very special people.
“I never told her I was writing it,” said Martin of keeping her book a surprise from her best friend.
She asked Susie and Susie’s recently adopted son, Alex, now a year and a half old, to lunch so she could present the book to them in person.
Susie Doig said she was “blown away” by Martin’s effort to give her something so valuable.
“It was probably the one time in my life I was completely speechless,” said Doig. “I was so touched at just how incredibly special it will be to have a children’s book about him joining his family.”
The book is titled, “My Wish, Our Little Oat,” because Alex’s Thai nickname translates to “Oat.”
Martin said Alex was thrilled with the book as well.
“He has his own copy,” she said.
The author said writing a children’s book about adoption was one of the most satisfying and rewarding things she has ever done, so rewarding in fact, that Martin and Tinker have decided to tackle a second project about surrogacy. Martin said she would like to publish a series of books about topics that children might not understand and is looking at the possibility of a third about separation. Her husband is in the National Guard and just completed his first 18-month deployment, a departure that was hard on her young children, Andrew and Sara.
“I want to write about serious subject matters and turn them into stories kids can relate to and feel special and loved,” said Martin.
• You can reach reporter Cara Pallone at 957-4208 or by e-mail at cpallone@newsreview.info.
Martin, 34, moved to Roseburg from Boise four years ago and works in advertising. When she learned her childhood friend, Susie Doig and Susie’s husband, Chris, were going through the process of adopting a baby boy from Thailand, she wanted to do something special and unique for the couple. She decided to write a book about the pair’s journey — traveling to a far-away country to find their destined child — and enlisted an illustrator to aid in the project.
Martin pitched her idea to her Roseburg friend, Jason Tinker, 35. It was a first project for the team. Tinker’s hobbies include airbrushing and painting cars and he has doodled his whole life, but never had he illustrated a children’s book before Martin’s request.
Both Martin and Tinker decided they didn’t like labels. Martin decided she wouldn’t mention the word adoption in the book, but rather create a story based upon two adult frogs wishing on a star for a baby and a little frog wishing on a star for a mom and dad, and the obstacles they overcome in finding each other.
“What I really wanted to capture was the intense determination and love it took for the parents to find him,” said Martin of the search by her friends. “The second they saw his picture, it was no longer ‘we’re adopting a baby,’ it was ‘that’s our son.”’
Tinker said he had trouble developing kid-friendly characters because he usually creates lifelike drawings.
“I had to get away from that to develop characters that didn’t look scary,” he said with a laugh.
After work every night and on weekends, Tinker took to his workshop, where he sat in front of a glass table lit with fluorescent lights and tried to create characters that would match Martin’s lighthearted story about a serious subject.
“The story is not about adoption, it’s about a family that is destined to be together,” said Tinker. “All the technical terms are taken out.”
Tinker decided to create an interracial book to make for an easy transition for questions from children.
“Even a really small kid can look at it and ask why the little frog is different,” said Tinker.
At first Martin was simply going to bind the pages of the book herself, but because of positive feedback and encouragement from family and friends after they read her story, she decided the book should be available beyond just the Doigs.
She felt that anyone who has gone through the process of adoption or is planning to do so would be able to relate to the book.
And after four months of struggling to perfect the text in the book, she found an independent publisher— LifeVest Publishing in Colorado.
The book became available through major bookstores two weeks ago. She had 100 copies made for local contacts, including two very special people.
“I never told her I was writing it,” said Martin of keeping her book a surprise from her best friend.
She asked Susie and Susie’s recently adopted son, Alex, now a year and a half old, to lunch so she could present the book to them in person.
Susie Doig said she was “blown away” by Martin’s effort to give her something so valuable.
“It was probably the one time in my life I was completely speechless,” said Doig. “I was so touched at just how incredibly special it will be to have a children’s book about him joining his family.”
The book is titled, “My Wish, Our Little Oat,” because Alex’s Thai nickname translates to “Oat.”
Martin said Alex was thrilled with the book as well.
“He has his own copy,” she said.
The author said writing a children’s book about adoption was one of the most satisfying and rewarding things she has ever done, so rewarding in fact, that Martin and Tinker have decided to tackle a second project about surrogacy. Martin said she would like to publish a series of books about topics that children might not understand and is looking at the possibility of a third about separation. Her husband is in the National Guard and just completed his first 18-month deployment, a departure that was hard on her young children, Andrew and Sara.
“I want to write about serious subject matters and turn them into stories kids can relate to and feel special and loved,” said Martin.
• You can reach reporter Cara Pallone at 957-4208 or by e-mail at cpallone@newsreview.info.
