As a continuation to The Trevor Romain Company video ebook series, we asked the company's president Trevor Romain about the purpose, development and its origins as a writer and illustrator for one of his classics, Under the Big Sky. Read below on our conversation to how this story became a beloved fan favorite and why it became a video adaptation.

Trevor Romain Company:
1. To get things going, with fans who may already be familiar with this Under the Big Sky (also available to purchase a physical copy), why did you want to tell this story as a video ebook?

Trevor:
I think this is an important story to share and wanted to do it on all platforms available to us.

Trevor Romain Company:
2. As a best-selling children's book author, who inspired you to write your first book and why?

Trevor:
I was inspired by A.A. Milne who wrote the original Winnie the Pooh series. His book, The House at Pooh Corner was the first book I ever read by myself.

Trevor Romain Company:
3. Why do you think readers (and in this case viewers) will keep replaying this particular story over and over?

Trevor:
The story mirrors the journey of life and as you move on in life, different parts of the story will resonate with what you are learning along the way.

Trevor Romain Company:
4. People may know you as a writer, but you also illustrate your books and for others, what sparks the passion for your creativity and why?

Trevor:
I have been rebelling against adulthood since I was a young child. I was born at a very young age so I don’t exactly remember when the rebellion started but I do know one thing, I am mischievous by nature and if I wasn’t creative and didn’t use my creativity I would probably get myself into all sorts of trouble.

Trevor Romain Company:
5. What was your intention when you came up to the final decision to call the book, Under the Big Sky?

Trevor:
I needed to have a title that encapsulated the concept of all encompassing and while driving on a road trip near Joshua Tree in California, while I was writing the book, I noticed how big the sky was.

Trevor Romain Company:
6. Which is your favorite season to write in, and why?

Trevor:
My favorite season to write is the writing season.

Trevor Romain Company:
7. Where do you get your information or ideas to write and illustrate books and stories?

Trevor:
Under the Big Sky.

Trevor Romain Company:
8. What do you like to do when you are not writing or drawing?

Trevor:
I love to run.

Trevor Romain Company:
9. How many books have you written? We know this is hard for an author to choose, but do you have a favorite?

Trevor:
I have written over 50 books. Asking an author to name a favorite book is like asking a mother to name her favorite child. Not gonna do it just in case I hurt the feelings of any of my other books.

Trevor Romain Company:
10. What would you like readers to take away from reading and watching, Under the Big Sky?

Trevor:
You will find the secret of life, under the big sky.

Now It's Storytime:
Watch the video, share your reactions here, and subscribe to our channel to be notified for more videos. We would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions directly below about your experience with this particular book. ​

Purchase the physical book: Under the Big Sky

In the latest installment of the Trevor Romain Company's video ebook series introduces "The Keeper of the Dreams". Find out in this special Q&A session with Trevor on how he became also known as Doctor of Mischief and if he's a dream-maker or a dream-keeper. Then watch the book and share your thoughts, feedback and observations about this story below.

Trevor Romain Company:
1. To kick things off, why did you decide to share about "The Keeper of the Dreams" and how does it make you feel?

Trevor:
I decided to share the Keeper of the Dreams because it deals with facing fear and because of COVID-19 people are quite fearful at the moment.

Trevor Romain Company:
2. This book talks about the power of dreams, can you share with us what is a bucket list dream you want to achieve, but haven't yet?

Trevor:
I am very lucky that I have reached many of my dreams, but my biggest dream right now is to create a trust fund for the Botshabelo Orphanage in South Africa to cover their operating costs for many years to come. There are over 200 children living there and some months they struggle to keep food on the table for the kids.

Trevor Romain Company:
3. If you had to choose, would you think of yourself as a dream-maker or a dream keeper, and tell us why?

Trevor:
I am neither really. But I sure am a dreamer.

Trevor Romain Company:
4. Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Trevor:
Both writing and illustrating energize me more than anything, even espresso coffee.

Trevor Romain Company:
5. With an interview with Austin Family you mentioned about this book and we know that this book holds a special place in your heart for many reasons. Can you share with your readers why in more detail?

Trevor:
This book was created to support children with cancer. It holds a special place in my heart because its creation led me to proudly serve kids with cancer and be a board member of the American Childhood Cancer Organization for many years. And for a two year stint the board president.

Trevor Romain Company:
6. If you had the opportunity to place one message on every billboard around the world, what would it be and why?

Trevor:
The change in your pocket can change a child’s life.

Trevor Romain Company:
7. Are the characters in "The Keeper of the Dreams" based on real people or imaginative?

Trevor:
They are based on real people. And I’m not going to tell you, who because they don’t know I created my characters around them. :-)

Trevor Romain Company:
8. What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

Trevor:
Deciding when to stop working on an illustration or a piece of writing. It’s difficult to figure out when something is done, or if it needs a little more work. Sometimes overworking a project can mess it up.

Trevor Romain Company:
9. How long on average does it take you to write a book?

Trevor:
My self-help book series took about a month to write and a month to illustrate. Picture books are shorter and obviously things like a book of short stories or my memoirs of growing up in South Africa took years to write. I work on more than one project at a time so it is quite hard to calculate really.

Trevor Romain Company:
10. Do you plan on sharing more stories as video books, ebooks, physical books, audio books in the near future? And if so, which platform to tell your stories do you prefer most?

Trevor:
Yes I do plan on sharing more work. I must say I am really enjoying the audio platform at the moment. Having The Trevor Romain Podcast allows me to share a story way faster and more efficiently than the time it takes to create, write and publish a book. Most of the time, a book will come out eighteen months to two years after it has been written. I will continue to write and illustrate children’s books, but look forward to using new technology to tell the stories I am creating.

Now It's Story Time:
Watch the video, share your reactions, and subscribe to our channel to be notified for more videos. We would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions directly below about your experience with this particular book. ​

Explore the story behind "The Old Man and the Bicycle" narrated and  illustrated by best-selling children's author, Trevor Romain. A team member of his company asked Mr. Romain to share insights about the book for any loyal fans or a bookworm newcomer.  

Trevor Romain Company: 
1. We're excited to read and watch the story of "The Old Man and the Bicycle", but first, why did you want to tell this story? 

Trevor: 
This story epitomizes the word ‘integrity’. It’s a positive story and if I keep repeating it, the old man and his actions will never be forgotten.

Trevor Romain Company: 
2. Is this story of "The Old Man and the Bicycle" based on a real life experience of you or someone you know? If so, please explain further. 

Trevor: 
This is a true story that happened to me when I was a young man.

Trevor Romain Company: 
3. With being said, what do you think makes a good story? 

Trevor: 
A good story starts with a thread that will pull the reader through the narrative. It needs conflict, resolution and an ending that will make readers continue to feel the story long after it’s over.

Trevor Romain Company: 
4. What does your family think of your writing and illustrations? 

Trevor: 
My family pretty much thinks I’m a buffoon, but my mum loves my stories and drawings and as long as she loves ‘em I’ll keep telling them.

Trevor Romain Company: 
5. Who are the author(s) and might we add illustrators that you look up to for inspiration and motivation to keep sharing stories? 

Trevor: 
There are way too many authors to list here but I do love Bryce Courtenay, Roald Dahl, Shel Silverstein and Madeleine L'engle to name a few. My favorite illustrators are Danny Gregory, Quentin Blake and Ronald Searle.

Trevor Romain Company: 
6. How would you define a storyteller? 

Trevor: 
A person who can keep you engaged for more that 60 seconds in this fast-paced, attention-span-challenged world.

Trevor Romain Company: 
7. Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book? 

Trevor: 
There are no real connection to characters in my books but rather a thread weaving through them highlighting the power of kindness and hope. It’s a theme I pull through my books even though some look totally different to each other.

Trevor Romain Company: 
8. If you could tell your younger writing self to read a certain book, what would it be and why? 

Trevor: 
I would suggest the Book Thief. It’s one of my favorite books of all time. It includes thought provoking illustrations in the middle so it spoke to me both with words and pictures. One of the most powerful books I have ever read.

Trevor Romain Company: 
9. What are 3 words that would best describe the "man" in "The Old Man and the Bicycle" and why?

Trevor:
Integrity is important.  Because without integrity the moral fibre of society starts to unravel.

Trevor Romain Company: 
10. Why should readers and viewers read this particular book? 

Trevor: 
It’s an important universal story that crosses all cultural, race and ethnic boundaries to showcase the importance of being true to oneself.

Now It's Story Time: 
Watch the video, share your reactions, and subscribe to our channel to be notified for more videos. We would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions directly below about your experience with this particular book. 

As part of a new blog series, The Trevor Romain Company would like to introduce a Q&A series with company present and co-founder, Trevor Romain with the announcement of 4 video ebooks for any avid reader, or in this case viewer and reader. This blog is dedicated to kickoff the series with "The Boy Who Swallowed a Rainbow" both illustrated and written by Romain himself and animated by Julia Mullinix. As a company, we want to ask the creator himself about the journey on how this video ebook came to life and why this story needed to be told.

Trevor Romain Company:
1. Why did you want to make "The Boy Who Swallowed a Rainbow" into a video ebook instead of a physical book or a traditional ebook?

Trevor: "The Boy Who Swallows a Rainbow" was a traditional look but it went out of print a number of years ago. I really like the story and decided I wanted to bring it back and an e-book was then quickest way to do that. We will publish it in book form again in the future.

Trevor Romain Company:
2. You mention in the podcast episode "Reading While Isolated" on the Trevor Romain Podcast that you loved reading while growing up in Johannesburg, South Africa, what keeps you motivated to keep reading today?

Trevor: I have found nothing more comforting and inspiring than reading. I love traveling, while sitting in a comfy overstuffed chair, and books allow me to do that.

Trevor Romain Company:
3. Without giving any spoilers, what's your favorite quote from this video ebook?

Trevor: The gel in his hair froze.

Trevor Romain Company:
4. How long did it take you to write the novel, create the graphics and do the voiceover for this book?

Trevor: It’s not a novel, but a picture book. It took about a month to create the graphics and do the voice over.

Trevor Romain Company:
5. What challenges did you face when creating, "The Boy Who Swallowed a Rainbow" ?

Trevor: The most difficult part was keep the look of the character consistent throughout the book.

Trevor Romain Company:
6. What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most?

Trevor: The book was borne out of a painting mishap during another project which inspired this story.

Trevor Romain Company:
7. How do you come up with the names for your characters?

Trevor: I actually use names from friends I had in elementary school in most of my books.

Trevor Romain Company:
8. How many drafts did this book go through before publication?

Trevor: The book had about 4 drafts,

Trevor Romain Company:
9. What is your ultimate favorite word, and why?

Trevor: Hope, because there is always hope.

Trevor Romain Company:
10. What is one the biggest takeaways you would like viewers and readers to take away from this particular book?

Trevor: Being famous is not a great as many people think.

Now It's Story Time:
Watch the video, share your reactions, and subscribe to our channel to be notified for more videos. We would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions directly below about your experience with this particular book.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we at the Trevor Romain Company would like to offer our support to educators, school counselors, parents, guardians and especially kids. To inspire children and help them to remain happy, healthy and confident during this difficult time, and to encourage families to read more together, we are making two of Trevor Romain’s popular children’s e-books, Webster and Gone, available free of charge.

In order to make sure our community receives these books, the books will also be shared on our social media outlets, press release, and a newsletter to keep young minds stimulated and educated. 

The company is also developing a three-part free mini e-course based on Trevor’s new book 'Connecting With Kids in a Disconnected World’,  in the coming days.  It's designed to help parents, guardians, educators and people better connect with children especially during this time of isolation. This helpful and highly informative mini course highlights proven tips, tricks, strategies and techniques from based on Trevor's 30 year career as a best-selling children's book author, award-winning illustrator and motivational speaker. 

As we share about reading, existing fans and newcomers alike can listen now to how Trevor explains the significance in reading on Trevor’s new platform, The Trevor Romain podcast, where he suggests taking advantage of this time of social isolation by reading more, both individually and, as a family. He discusses this and how he overcame his struggles as an early reader to become a best-selling author on the episode: Reading While Isolated. We invite you to subscribe to the Trevor Romain podcast for notifications of upcoming episodes on your preferred platform including: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Deezer. 

As another plus, the company is providing a 15% off promotion throughout the entire store with promo code: THXTREVOR . Stay tuned for more updates as a subscriber to our newsletter here for exclusive perks and follow our social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. 

Feel free to comment below and if you have any questions to contact us here.

Photo Credit. 30seconds.com

Swimming: Going for a long swim during the summer is a great way to get in some cardio. It’s always fun to have races or time your child going from one end of the pool and back. Don’t have access to a pool? Make a day of it and go to your nearest lake or even the beach, just don’t forget to put on sunscreen!

 
Oh my goodness. I can't remember when I last had goose bumps and swimming eyes like this.
I don't often share links on my posts but I have a tiny personal link in something globally important and this has a connection and line directly to my heart.
​
You see a few years ago I was having dinner with family friends. I was sitting next to one of their three incredible daughters, Megan, who was twelve at the time and a budding singer/songwriter.

Throughout most of the meal, she and I were talking about music. She asked me how people go about writing songs and I told her how I wrote songs with my friend Carl Thiel for my TV series.

And even before the meal was over, and because she is one amazing kid, and I am a 14 year old trapped in an older dude's body, we decided, there and then, to write a song together about kindness and compassion.
We got right to it. We excused ourselves and went to the piano in the living room and she came up with a wonderful melody.

After discussing ideas around the meaning of the song, I went home and wrote the lyrics. She made a rough recording and we all enjoyed the result. I tried to share the song with some producers but to no avail however...the seeds were sewn for her song, Hand In Hand. When Megan was thirteen and in 7th grade she was given a school project to do anything she was passionate about.

And that's when she, and her mom Carolyn, remembered the song we had written the year before.
Megan created her project (pictured here) and presented it at school, coupled with the original recording of the song she wrote, sang, played and produced herself, on Garage Band, with her own harmonies.
Fast forward to the present.

Megan is fifteen and this is what's happening with the song right now, in Megan's mother's own words:
'The idea for Project Empathy was borne out of a conversation in January with a friend who teaches in China and was experiencing the threat of the coronavirus firsthand.

In an attempt to comfort his students who, like him, were quarantined in their apartments, he sent out a message of empathy and encouragement to his kids that was obviously well received.

A few days later, I remembered a song my daughter had written in middle school that she used for a project to show how music could be used as therapy to help children in difficult situations.

I sent the song across to him in China, offering it as a tool for when he next connected with his students.
He came back with a request that it be presented in video format so that subtitles could run across the screen simultaneously so the kids could understand the intent of the song.

I elicited the help of two creative friends in Austin and Project Empathy was borne.
We started small by recording my daughter's voice and coming up with an idea of how to film her, but deep down I knew it could be so much more.

I knew that if we involved more children on our end it would give them an opportunity to grow their empathy muscles, which would in turn make the project mutually beneficial to both parties.
I asked the middle school choir director if she would be interested in creating harmonies and performing alongside my daughter, she agreed.
​
I asked the principal at the elementary school if the children might be interested in drawing pictures or writing letters expressing empathy to be included in the project, she said yes.
I asked neighbors if their children would be willing to be extras in the filming portion of the project, and they gave their consent.

Soon, this joint effort to creatively express our empathy through music and art became a connection point for our small community.

So, this is what we present to you. A labor of love from a small community in Austin, Texas, to be shared with children quarantined the world over because of the coronavirus.

Empathy is knowing that we can’t change your situation, but we can offer to enter in to it with you – even from a distance – to say we see you, we feel with you, and we hope our music makes you feel like we are sitting right there with you, hand in hand, waiting for this storm to pass.' - Carolyn Grant
​
Please listen to the song and join me in sharing the talents of an amazing child, her wonderful family, and an incredibly compassionate community. 

Watch the video below: 

We're excited to announce the launch of Trevor's new book, Go Read is available on Audio!

Links 
Apple Link: Go Read - iBooks
Amazon: Go Read - Amazon
Audible: Go Read - Audible (UK, FR, DE)

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