Former Mansfield resident Julee Sims was in town recently to sign copies of her children’s book, “A.J.’s Big Move.” The author and illustrator sold 20 copies of the book while signing copies at the Little Buckeye Children’s Museum, 44 W. Fourth Street, Mansfield.
“I’ve always wanted to publish a book,” said the 1995 Ontario high school graduate. Sims said she didn’t know anything about publishing a book and it all started with wanting to write a book for her daughters, Baylee, 8, and Alaina, 10, about their impending move to Indiana. Her husband, Don, was transferred to the General Motors plant in Marion, Indiana when the local GM plant shut down in Mansfield.
“My husband kept telling me that I should turn [the book] into a publisher and I kept saying, ‘I don’t know about that,’” she said with a chuckle.
But once Sims did turn her manuscript into a publisher, she was offered an immediate deal. She said she declined at least two of the offers at first because she wanted to have control of the illustration and the layout of the book.
Sims is a graduate of Bowling Green State University with a major in computer art and graphic design, so it was very important to her to have control over the entire book.
Readers will learn that A.J. the Apple and his family had to move to another apple tree. He doesn’t want to leave his tree and friends. Readers will follow A.J. on his journey to his new home and see what it’s like on the other side of the orchard.
“It was something I’ve always wanted to do,” Sims said of writing the book. “But honestly, I really didn’t know if I could do it. It turned out okay though.”
Sims plans on making a series out of the A.J. the Apple books. The next book is A.J. Loses a Tooth. She said she also has many unpublished books.
“Each of the books are based on what my daughters are going through as I raise them,” she said.
Sims said the A.J. the Apple series is a fun way to teach lessons to kids. The idea for A.J. being a cute little apple just came to her, she said.
“’I was trying to think of something kind of bright, cute and simple to illustrate that kids would like to see,” she said. “It really doesn’t have any significant meaning. I just thought it would be cute. It works.”
The signing at the Little Buckeye Children’s Museum was the first time Sims has been back to Mansfield promoting her book.
“It’s been really cool,” she said. “It’s been fun to see everybody’s reaction to me and everyone has been congratulating me. It feels good. It’s nice to be able to share it with my friends and family.”
Sims’ advice for aspiring authors: copyright your work to make sure it’s protected before you submit anything to a potential publisher. If you get rejected, keep trying, there are many publishers; you don’t have to necessarily take the first contract offered by a potential publisher if they do not offer what you are looking for.
Sims will be back at the local museum from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 16 to sign copies of her books. Her books can be purchased on Amazon, at Barnes and Noble, or on TatePublishing.com. They also can be loaned out at the Mansfield Richland county Public Library.
“’I was trying to think of something kind of bright, cute and simple to illustrate that kids would like to see,” she said. “It really doesn’t have any significant meaning. I just thought it would be cute. It works,” said Julee Sims.
