You know the holidays can't be all that far away when a Sioux Falls author publishes a new children's book. "The Greatest Gift: The Wise Ones' Journey" is Tom Roberts' retelling of the Christmas story. Roberts' latest release will benefit kids at the Children's Home Society.
In "The Greatest Gift: The Wise Ones' Journey," Roberts took a different literary path by following the Magi's trek to Bethlehem.
"Each of us is on a journey whether we know it or not through life and how we deal with that journey and how that journey affects the decisions we make, the way we interact with other people, says a lot about the character of each one of us," Roberts said.
Roberts uses rhymes to convey the story of how faith and fortitude brought the Maji to their divine destination.
"I've always enjoyed the stories of Dr. Seuss and how he put meaning into a lot of his silly rhymes. Also, my mom had a remarkable knack for making up little rhymes when she tucked me into bed at night," Roberts said.
Illustrator Jim Brummond added a colorful flair to this Christmas story by turning a page on technology. A donated iPad Pro allowed him to paint the pictures without a brush and beyond the confines of his studio.
"The beautiful thing about this device is I was able to illustrate wherever I was at so I could be waiting for my kids at the doctor's office and sitting in my bed at night and working on this particular project," Brummond said.
Sales for Roberts' four other Christmas-themed books have raised more than $1 million dollars for the Children's Home Society. Roberts hopes "The Greatest Gift" will be another big seller.
"It feels so wonderful and gratifying to know that there are so many supporters, people all across the state of South Dakota who made this work," Roberts said.
Many more kids from troubled backgrounds will benefit from this creative collaboration of poetry and pictures.
Roberts' four other children's books have sold more than 50,000 copies over the past 14 years.
If you'd like order The Greatest Gift, click here
In "The Greatest Gift: The Wise Ones' Journey," Roberts took a different literary path by following the Magi's trek to Bethlehem.
"Each of us is on a journey whether we know it or not through life and how we deal with that journey and how that journey affects the decisions we make, the way we interact with other people, says a lot about the character of each one of us," Roberts said.
Roberts uses rhymes to convey the story of how faith and fortitude brought the Maji to their divine destination.
"I've always enjoyed the stories of Dr. Seuss and how he put meaning into a lot of his silly rhymes. Also, my mom had a remarkable knack for making up little rhymes when she tucked me into bed at night," Roberts said.
Illustrator Jim Brummond added a colorful flair to this Christmas story by turning a page on technology. A donated iPad Pro allowed him to paint the pictures without a brush and beyond the confines of his studio.
"The beautiful thing about this device is I was able to illustrate wherever I was at so I could be waiting for my kids at the doctor's office and sitting in my bed at night and working on this particular project," Brummond said.
Sales for Roberts' four other Christmas-themed books have raised more than $1 million dollars for the Children's Home Society. Roberts hopes "The Greatest Gift" will be another big seller.
"It feels so wonderful and gratifying to know that there are so many supporters, people all across the state of South Dakota who made this work," Roberts said.
Many more kids from troubled backgrounds will benefit from this creative collaboration of poetry and pictures.
Roberts' four other children's books have sold more than 50,000 copies over the past 14 years.
If you'd like order The Greatest Gift, click here