By: Peyton Lawson

David Blackmond is a senior at Heritage High School. In 2015, Wanda Muknerjee, an editor for the Wake Weekly, became David’s mentor as a part of his Gaming Art and Design Academy internship requirement.  At the time, the two had no idea the things they would create as a result of their meeting. Two years and a lot of hard work later, the two are beginning the presale of their children’s book, Jeremiah’s Mighty Big To-Do List. The book is a by-product of a collaborative relationship of two vastly different people whose end product is both inspiring and relatable.

To fully understand the how the book came to be it is important to understand where the inspiration comes from. Wanda has always been a storyteller. When her children were younger she told the Jeremiah stories. She explained to me that while Jeremiah first was inspired by her oldest son, he has since become his own person. The stories are a family heirloom of sorts. Twenty-five years after she started telling the stories, she meets David. Together, they brought the story to life.

Part by part, Wanda wrote the story out and David illustrated her descriptions. The production of a final product did not come without challenges. She explains, “It takes a long time and doesn’t happen overnight. We are so accustomed to things happening instantly. This took time, like baking a cake. First you have to get all of the ingredients, mix them all together, and put it into the oven. Sometimes the cake falls flat and you have to start over.” Nevertheless, they brought the sweet, relatable, curious character to life.

In the story, Jeremiah faces the challenge of getting organized so that he can go on his class field trip. However, organization doesn’t come easy. Jeremiah was created to be someone that every boy and girl can relate to and every person can enjoy reading. The story is lighthearted and uplifting.

Jeremiah’s Mighty Big To-Do List is now available for pre-sell directly from the publisher. When copies are presold through the publisher, $5.00 of the purchase will be going to a Shop with a Cop, a local organization which partner local police officers with underprivileged children to provide them with a day of Christmas shopping. This offer is available through the end of the presale, June 1st. The link to the presale is focusreadlearn.com

Additionally, the children’s book will be sold on Amazon and in local bookstores. Those purchases will result in a $1.00 donation to Shop with a Cop.