The cover of “Rufus Rutabaga Flicktail
Finds His House” by Mary Pepper,
with one of my sketches for the book

I was showing friends some of my illustration work and caught the attention of Mary Pepper, well-known in Ames as a quiltmaker and former elementary school teacher. She had written a story for a children’s book that needed illustrations, and thought my watercolor style would fit it well. This began our collaboration to show and tell the story of Rufus Rutabaga Flicktail, a mouse in search of a home.

It was fun to play in Rufus’s series of shelters, with the underlying theme of how animals adapt to losing habitat. Working with Mary’s script and my added imagination, it took on a life of its own.

(Send me an email at hello@jomyerswalker.com for more information if you’re interested in ordering a copy of Mary’s book, “Rufus Rutabaga Flicktail Finds His House.”)

Previously:

• Words and pictures
• Lucky’s Feet