As folks gathered outside of the Escalon Historical Society Museum on Saturday, Oct. 24, they shared their enthusiasm for the book, Dewey The Three-Legged Cat, as well as the author, Nancy Brayton-John, who was there to greet folks and sign copies of her new book. Brayton-John, a longtime resident of Escalon and former educator at Dent Elementary School, found various ways to connect to her students throughout the years including telling them stories about her own life to help motivate them to share information about their lives.
Growing up, Brayton-John and her family shared a love for their pet kitty named Dewey. A gray cat full of light and love, Dewey was no ordinary feline. Though born with four legs, Dewey later lost one to injury but it turned out having three legs didn’t stop him from sharing many adventures with Brayton-John and her family.
While teaching kindergarten at Dent Elementary School, Brayton-John offered tales about her own life and also listened earnestly as her young students began to open up and share stories from their lives.
“I was trying to reach them and I knew that Dewey was special and that having three legs had not stopped him from having fun and living a long life so I started telling my students about Dewey,” said Brayton-John.
Year after year, she was able to introduce Dewey and his adventures to many students and one day she realized that she could share his inspiring journey with many others so she began writing her book, Dewey, The Three-Legged Cat.
As Brayton-John began writing the book, she thought about who she could call upon to illustrate the pages, to bring Dewey to life and she knew that she had an artist in the family. Her granddaughter, Ace Lombardo, is an artist and she was thrilled to help her grandmother with this project.
“My grandma asked me if I would do it and I said of course I will,” said Lombardo as she smiled and signed copies of the book alongside her grandmother.
Though this is the first book that she has provided illustrations for, it probably will not be her last. Lombardo brought some of her art to the museum to share with guests at the reception. Focusing on digital illustration, Lombardo has cultivated her skills and primarily creates semi-realistic fantasy art and works on commission as requested.
For Both Brayton-John and Lombardo, the opportunity to collaborate on a project brought a lot of joy and purpose and both look forward to collaborating on future endeavors. Dewey’s story is one that is sure to bring smiles and laughter to many more readers, from his ability to climb trees and outsmart dogs nipping at his paws, Dewey serves to remind us that being different is not a bad thing and that our differences are what make each of us unique.
The book is available for purchase online through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Brayton-John also had an appearance scheduled at the Escalon Library on Tuesday, Oct. 27 for story time, which was to include a special hands-on craft making experience based on Dewey’s adventures.
