A new children’s book,
Places Where the Sun Don’t Shine, deeply involves local collaboration, bringing together longtime West Michigan creatives — and even a Wyoming-based printer.
The book was conceived by Estelle Slootmaker, a fifth-generation Wyoming resident and veteran journalist whose work often appears in Rapid Growth. Written in verse, the story is paired with fun illustrations by artist Edward Kurlowicz, also known as
Eddie Killowatts, and designed by award-winning book designer Karen McDiarmid.
Slootmaker is a writer and editor with
Issue Media Group and book editor for
Karen McDiarmid Design.
Slootmaker and McDiarmid met in the 1990s at Advance Newspapers in Jenison. McDiarmid, then a typesetter, encouraged Slootmaker, then a proofreader, to try her hand at news writing — a spark that launched her 30-year writing career. McDiarmid went on to design
Stranger in the Woods, a New York Times No. 1 bestseller.
“I love designing books, especially when I get to work with witty and talented authors like Estelle,” McDiarmid says. “Her new book is a brilliantly bright spot of laughter. With clever rhyming prose and illustrations as delightful as the story, this book is guaranteed to make kids (and their grown-ups) grin.”
The collaboration is also a personal one. Slootmaker and Kurlowicz first met in Chicago’s new wave scene in the late 1970s. After losing touch, they reconnected decades later, married in 2015, and made Wyoming their home.
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New children’s book "Places Where the Sun Don’t Shine" unites West Michigan creatives and a Wyoming printer, conceived by Estelle Slootmaker.
Even the printing reflects the project’s local roots. The book was produced at
5 Lakes Press, less than five miles from Slootmaker’s home office. The team says keeping the project local not only reinforced their community ties but also highlighted the creative and professional resources available in West Michigan.
The Stray Cafe, 4253 Division Ave. S, Wyoming, Michigan 49548, will host a launch and signing in October. Slootmaker will also appear at the GR Poetry Collective/Uptown Art Prize kickoff event Sept. 18 at the Hermitage at Diamond. The book’s launch party is set for 5 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Stray.
Rapid Growth caught up with Estelle Slootmaker to learn more about her book and the process of bringing it to print.
Rapid Growth: As a fifth-generation Wyoming resident, in what ways did your hometown and its community help shape the humor and heart of Places Where the Sun Don’t Shine
?
Estelle Slootmaker: I grew up hearing my dad’s and grandfather’s humorous tales of life in Wyoming Park, which in the first half of the 20th century was a strict Calvinist Christian community — and the Slootmakers handled being outcasts with humor. Grandpa had been a comic song and dance man in vaudeville and performed for The Purple Gang in Detroit during prohibition.
As a kid, Dad was the neighborhood hooligan who pulled hilarious pranks. After stints in the Navy and Coast Guard, Dad brought us back to Wyoming Park and started his own successful business. His sense of humor helped him handle clients — I first heard the phrase “where the sun don’t shine” when he talked about some of them. We were always laughing a lot, at home and everywhere we went.
RG: You worked closely with a longtime friend and your husband to bring this project to life. How did those personal relationships influence the creative process and the final book?
ES: There would not be a book without either of them. These two brought my words to life. I met Karen McDiarmid on the job at Advance Newspapers in 1990. When her husband’s new job with the Detroit Free Press took her to the east side of the state, Karen launched her book design career. When her clients needed help with writing or editing, she brought me on board with those projects. Seeing the beautiful books she designed over the years convinced me that if I ever self-published a book, she would have to design it.
My husband Eddie Kurlowicz’s artistic style was perfect for the book — a whole lot of cute with just the right amount of creepy. When our 5-year-old granddaughter Maryam kept asking to see the picture of Little Mouse on my phone over and over again, I knew he had hit the nail on the head. Since we reconnected in 2014, his encouragement has given me the juice to take my creative writing more seriously.
RG: After decades as a journalist and editor, what inspired you to write a children’s book in verse, and how did that experience differ from the work you’ve done in the past?
ES: Well, actually I wrote my first children’s story while I was still in high school. Since then, I have written children’s stories and verse for family and my youngest kid’s classroom. Two clients hired me to write their children’s books that they published:
Count to Ten and Be Healthy and
Mary’s Blue Butterfly Heart. And I’ve been a part of Karen’s editorial team on many children’s fiction chapter books.
RG: This book brings together witty rhymes, imaginative design, and playful illustrations. How did you and your collaborators intentionally blend those elements into a story that speaks to both kids and adults?
ES: Because Eddie and I — and Karen and I — know each other so well and have laughed together so often, it was less of an intentional blend and more of a serendipitous adventure. Of course, adults will get the joke about that place where the sun don’t shine. Hopefully, kids will find humor elsewhere – in the illustrations, especially – while learning a little about nature, gaining a little respect for wildlife, and understanding that the dark does not have to be bad or scary but actually has its bright points.
RG: Your book was designed and printed just a few miles from your home. Why was it important to you to keep the entire production process local, and how do you see that decision reflecting the spirit of the book?
ES: Eddie and I always strive to spend our dollars locally when we can. I took some time to search for local printers. I started with those that I or others in my network had heard of, but the costs were really high.
So, one day, I did an online search for “Book printer Wyoming, MI,” and 5 Lakes Press popped up. 5 Lakes Press gave me the best price. Plus, I didn’t have to have the books shipped. When I toured the plant and saw 5 Lakes Press’ quality, it was an easy decision. They’ve been a pleasure to work with throughout the entire process. I hope to do a second, larger print run and use 5 Lakes Press’ sister company JPL Books to do global distribution.
Having 5 Lakes print
Places Where the Sun Don’t Shine fits perfectly with the spirit of the book because more than a good giggle, the story brings together a little community — animals, kids, and nature come together to enjoy and appreciate each other.