David James: Shepparton author David Lee releases children’s book Light in the Dark under pen-name
David James has a ready-made audience for his books right in his own home. Now he’s hoping to shed light on the dark for other young ones in the region – all inspired by his two-year-old son Sebastian.
Goulburn Valley
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Like all seasoned writers, Shepparton’s David Lee is inspired by what he knows best.
And if there’s one thing he knows better than anyone, it’s his two-year-old son Sebastian’s fear of the dark.
“Sebastian and I play hide and seek, and he’ll run into our cupboards and close the door,” Mr Lee said.
“But he gets frightened being by himself.”
To help Sebastian overcome his fear, Mr Lee wrote a children’s book called Light in the Dark under his pen-name David James.
The story fittingly follows the journey of a young boy playing hide and seek with his dad.
“I wanted to show there are lighter sides to being somewhere where there’s not that much light,” he said.
It’s a sequel to Mr Lee’s first book released about a year ago titled Calm of the Storm, which is similarly inspired by his son’s dread of loud weather.
“I absolutely love storms, and a storm was rolling through one night and I didn’t want him to be afraid of it,” he said.
Writing children’s books is an accidental pursuit for Mr Lee, who is currently writing a novel and has held jobs in journalism and marketing.
He spent his childhood in Shepparton, and after living in Melbourne for a bit, he returned home while continuing his passion for storytelling.
His son inspired him to think about picture books, and after Mr Lee struck a relationship with Latvian illustrator Ivan Zamyslov, and got local company Willprint on-board to print it, all the pieces came together.
“I always thought my first published book would be the novel I’ve been working on for quite some time,” he said.
Writing a children’s book may seem easier, Mr Lee says it’s anything but.
“I had the first draft ready within a matter of minutes, but then it’s the about the process of making sure it was perfect,” he said.
Mr Lee said there were other things within the book to hold the attention of little ones, including a new colour of the rainbow appearing on each page, and a “find the star” on each spread.
“It’s a little bit of fun, because kids don’t see the star straight away,” he said.
While COVID-19 delayed the publishing of the book, it has no doubt been a big year for Mr Lee professionally, who has also launched his book publishing site Integrated Publishing.
He’s also working on releasing it into bookstores, but in the meantime, it can be purchased online or at Mes Amours in Tatura.
He said he hopes the book “sheds a bit of light on the dark” for young ones.
But even more important is what his biggest fan – his son Sebastian – thinks of it.
“Sebastian hasn’t quite gotten around to reciting it like my first book,” Mr Lee said with a laugh.
“Although, he’s just starting to do it with this one.”
To purchase a copy, visit Integrated Publishing or Mes Amours on Hogan St, Tatura.
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