Strathmore local publishes debut book

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Strathmore local Tiffany Hutorow has self-published her debut children’s book, The Bear, The Hare, and The Mare, which is now publicly available for purchase. 

Hutorow explained the book started as a rhyming exercise with her young children as they were running errands over the summer, which quickly inspired her to write the book. 

“It is about kindness and compassion, and it is about a bear with no hair, and a hare that cares and she goes out of her way and is brave and helps this bear get some outerwear before winter and goes on this adventure and helps some other animals along the way,” she said. “It has been a really cool learning curve, and it has definitely inspired me to want to make more books. It has been fun.”

She added she was inspired to take up writing from reading bedtime stories to her children and did not hesitate to try something new, particularly as a family project. 

From beginning to published, the project was completed in roughly three months, and has been publicly available since late October. 

“I am a go-getter. I actually have already had a business in Strathmore – I had a stable and that kind of ran its course, and then once I had kids and I started to read with (them) at bedtime, I got inspired to just start a new chapter … and make something that is a little bit of a legacy item and that we could read together as a family, and have something that we could look at together in the future as well,” said Hutorow. “There are lots of different ways to go, and I actually self-published, but I hired an editor, and then I also knew some friends who went through the traditional publishing methods and heard some pros and cons about that … so far, the self-publishing route has been pretty good.”

The book was also illustrated by Hutorow and her husband, who have maintained an appreciation for art. She explained neither of the two of them have formal artistic training or background, they simply enjoy doing arts and crafts with their toddlers. 

Excited about having gone through the self-publishing process, Hutorow said she wants to continue writing children’s books.

“I would like to do my next book on grief … targeted towards children, just because unfortunately, kids have to go through the grief process when either a pet or a loved one passes away,” she said. “It has been lots of learning experiences, and you just kind of have to be consistent, especially when I work, and I have little kids, and we have a farm, and so you just kind of have to stay persistent or else it will be something on your desktop sitting there colleting electronic dust.”

Nothing has yet been set in stone as far as local distribution is concerned, though The Bear, The Hare, and The Mare is available for purchase through Amazon.

Hutorow has also expressed interest in illustrating a Christmas-themed edition of her book.