Local Author and Son Create Wholesome Children’s Books to Help Families “Read, Not Scroll”

In an age when many children spend more time swiping screens than turning pages, local author Danny Barron is making it his mission to help parents reclaim storytime. On Saturday, Sept. 6, Barron will be at the Royal Oak Bookshop, 207 S. Royal Avenue, from 1 to 3 p.m. to share his “What Could It Be?” series. Each family attending will receive a free e-book download.

For Barron, the message is simple: children ultimately crave loving attention from their parents, and reading together is one of the most meaningful ways to give it. “If a child spends four hours each day on a mobile device for eight years, that equates to two years of continuous scrolling,” Barron said. “The question is, is that planting good seed? What that child’s really hungry for is the intimacy with their mom and dad.”

The “What Could It Be?” series is written in playful, rhyming verse reminiscent of Dr. Seuss, paired with vibrant illustrations created by Barron’s son Nathan. The books are aimed at readers ages 4 to 10, but Barron says they can be enjoyed by younger children when read aloud, and even older children appreciate the rhythm and storytelling.

The first book in the series, Flight to the Light, was inspired by what Barron describes as a sudden creative spark. “Last spring of 2023, I woke up, I was praying like I normally do, and I just felt like a plot downloaded,” he said. “Over the next three days, I was pulling words out of the air that rhymed and still told the story.” The story follows a June bug drawn to a streetlight — a metaphor for God’s love — and contrasts the frustration of barriers with the open embrace of faith.

Other titles in the series draw from nature and personal inspiration. Turtle’s Treacherous Trip follows a mother turtle’s perilous journey to lay eggs and the hatchlings’ struggle to reach the ocean. The Emperor’s Family was decades in the making. Barron recalls watching a documentary about emperor penguins and being struck by the devotion of the father penguins, who protect their eggs for two months in brutal Antarctic conditions. “I was so impressed with the faithfulness of that emperor penguin father,” Barron said. “I said, ‘Lord, make me an emperor penguin father to my family one day.’”

Now a father himself, Barron sees the books as part of that legacy. His wife Julie stayed home to raise their sons, Nathan and Nick, a decision he believes helped shape their futures. “Nathan’s our youth pastor at Love Revival Church, and my son Nick is studying to be a minister,” Barron said. “It’s going to reap benefits.”

Nathan’s role as illustrator grew naturally from his own interests. While studying at Regent University, he roomed with animation students who introduced him to digital art tools. Barron began by sketching drafts for the books, and Nathan turned them into finished illustrations.

A fourth book, The Journey Upstream, is currently in progress. Inspired by the determination of salmon returning to their birthplace, the story uses the fish’s single-minded journey as a metaphor for resisting temptation and staying true to one’s purpose.

Barron’s books balance entertainment with values, making them accessible in various settings. While some carry overt spiritual themes, others — like the turtle story — can be shared in public schools or libraries. This October, Barron will read Turtle’s Treacherous Trip to preschool classes at Samuels Public Library.

He hopes parents will see his books not just as stories, but as tools for connection. “Don’t give them a cell. Read them a good book,” Barron said. “Your relationship with them will grow as they grow, rooting them in a love that will far outlast any temporary thrill they get from mobile devices.”

More about the “What Could It Be?” series can be found at www.dannybarron.com.