(This article first appeared in the August print edition of the Hendersonian.)
When local author Rob Smith started thinking about writing a children’s Christmas book, his imagination kind of ran away with him.
Rob loves Christmas and all the stories and motifs that go along with it, but he couldn’t stop thinking about those elves and how they just might be stereotyped.
Surely, their ONLY job wouldn’t be making toys for Santa’s sleigh.
“The more I thought about it, the deeper it went,” Rob said.
And the result is “The Magic of Merryfin Sparkshoe,” his first book in The North Peak Adventures Series that will be released on Sept. 1. (The second book is already finished and will be released in September 2027, and the third is on the drawing board.)
The 76-page chapter book is intended for 6 through 10-year-olds though the author said “the whole family can enjoy the message.” It will be available in both printed and eBook version through Amazon.com.
The message of his tale resonates with hope and the spirit of community, where each elf uses his or her strengths and talents to get things done and solve problems.
“They all learn to work together,” he said. “I wanted to create more than just another Christmas story. I wanted children to feel like they were discovering a real place filled with adventure, friendship and hope. My goal has always been to create something families can enjoy together while reminding children to believe in the spark that’s already inside them.”
At North Peak, a snowy village at the heart of the North Pole, the author imagines the elves being “big, small, short, tall, gift-smiths, cooks, map-makers, sweater-knitters and reindeer groomers,” just to name a few of their attributes and responsibilities.
Merryfin Sparkshoe, the protagonist, is the head trainer of Santa’s reindeer. He’s a small elf with cherry red hair, warm hazel eyes, and freckles shaped like snowflakes who possesses a heart filled with enormous Christmas spark, Christmas magic.
His team of reindeer-training assistants include Twinkletips Nutbuttons, Pebblemint Tumbleblossom, Jollywhip Jinglecrest and Snowblossom Mirthwhistle.
Everything is going great at North Peak until something well in contrast to the spirit of Christmas shows up. Something that one might associate more with being a human failing rather than an elf one.
But that’s the world author Rob has worked to create: Imagining daily elf life as one that young readers—and older ones—can connect to and find relatable.
As a songwriter as well as an author, Rob’s approach to writing the “The Magic of Merryfin Sparkshoe” book started with writing a storytelling song about the elves. There’s a QR code included in the book that accesses a YouTube lyric video of the song. It’s also available on his web site, RobSmithWrites.com.
He’s made an interactive map of North Peak, and for author events/book signings he created an elf-naming matrix so young readers can receive their personal elf name.
“Creativity isn’t linear,” he said, explaining that he’s used music, history and storytelling in his project.
“Every story has the power to spark imagination,” Rob said. “My goal is to create an interactive experience that inspires children to read, dream, create and believe in themselves.”
He said his father was an entertainer and a musician and could “spin magical tales on the spot,” which planted the seeds for Rob’s own creative journey.
He added that he uses cherished childhood memories of story time, his own musical background and personal experiences of overcoming life’s challenges as the fuel for presenting the meaningful messages of hope and self-worth.
The author said that if his stories inspire just one person to realize that they have an important place in this world if will be well worth writing the North Peak series.
He said that when he’s not writing he works his day job with a personal mission: To compliment someone and put a smile on their face every single day.
It’s that same spirit he applies to his writings.
“I believe in the power of words and music to make people feel good about themselves,” the author said.
