Detroit Writer Takes A Leap Of Faith And Publishes A Children's Book

DETROIT (WWJ) - A Detroit writer realizes a longtime dream after taking a leap of faith and publishing a children's book. As part of WWJ Newsradio 950's weeklong series focusing on local people who are preparing to kick off 2015 with new purpose, WWJ's Terri Lee profiles author Marva Blocker.

Blocker wrote "Hey Kids, Can Animals Really Talk?" after procrastinating for years. But, she finally buckled down.

"A parent came to my school one day and she said, the Lord told me to tell you something," Blocker told Lee. "And, I'm going, oh okay, and she says you like writing children's stories, and I almost fell out on the floor cause I'm thinking, who knows that? Nobody could know that but the Lord, and (then) she said, he said you better start writing those stories."

So that's exactly what she did, writing a book that puts a different spin on well-known bible stories:

"For example, the animals in Noah's Ark, how were they chosen to go on the ark, so they had to go through a little test," Blocker explained.

But even after the book was written, Blocker hesitated, she said, because of difficulties finding an illustrator.

"I would call, people would come by; they'd look at it. I even paid down a deposit on one and never got anything back."

But after sending the book to her sister, Blocker discovered she really didn't need one.

"She sent it back and she said, wow that was great; I really liked it," Blocker went on to tell Lee. "And she said, but Adrian really, really liked it. And I'm thinking, oh my God. Adrian is my niece, and my niece is blind, so she couldn't have saw (sic) an illustration if she wanted to."

With Blocker's book complete and available for sale, she's hoping churches will use the books to teach Sunday school classes. And now, she's even preparing to write a second.

Follow Terri on Twitter @TerriJLee