Derrick Rainey (‘12) has launched a children’s book series, “Nite-Nite Tales: The Adventures of Bubbles.” The series presents timeless lessons through the eyes of a curious, intellectual, and talented African-American girl.
The first book in the series is “The Seeds of Joy.”
“’The Seeds of Joy’ is a timeless lesson that introduces children and reminds adults that when you nurture the seed of patience, it can bring more joy than just receiving instant gratification,” Rainey said. “This book was an opportunity to reintroduce family time, lessons of value and character, and joy back into our communities and society. I hope it works and brings families together.”
In the series, Bubbles is guided by an ancestral friend, Kofi, and meets new friends along the way to learn important values, including patience, cultural heritage, and the importance of living a legacy for others to follow.
“The goal of the series is to provide an avenue of expression for my daughter, Octavia Simone, to become the author of the future book series as she grows and dives into her love for knowledge and literacy,” Rainey said. “This is my way to impact the next seven generations to come.”
Rainey said that the writing process was “actually pretty fun.” He said he had worked on concepts and started more than 30 stories when the process truly advanced after meeting his cousin, Cameron Jones, for the first time in June. Jones, currently a freshman at the Columbus College of Art and Design, was hired as the Seven Generations Living Legacy Collaborations Fellow to be the illustrator.
Within a month, Jones had completed sketches and colored illustrations of three of the stories: “Seeds of Joy,” “Bubbles Get Her Wings,” and “Bubbles in the Wide Wild West!”
Rainey worked with a local publisher, Iris M. Williams of Butterfly Typeface Publishing, to edit and develop the book. Ricky Allen handled the books’ layout.
“Being able to have face-to-face meetings and calls leading up to the release was something that made the difference in publishing a book within two months,” Rainey said.
Rainey noted that the main inspiration for writing this book series came from the preparation and birth of his daughter, Octavia Simone, in July 2017.
“I had been writing letters to her in a journal almost daily about things I had experienced and hopes and dreams I had for her since we found out we were expecting. Octavia literally changed my life and the way I think about the past, present and future.”
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