After years of writing, illustrating, and revising, Dr. Corbett Babb, WREC Principal, and Mr. Michael Miller, WREC and JSHS art teacher, celebrated the publishing of their book Melody’s Gift on September 20. WAEF honored the pair at a book launch celebration for district staff, faculty members, and WAEF board members at the home of the Carlino family in Wyomissing. In addition to a night of fun and food, each attendant received a signed copy of the book.
Though Melody’s Gift was formally published and celebrated in 2019, the development of the book began seven years ago when Dr. Babb began the writing process. His inspiration for the story came from an unexpected place: “My inspiration originally came from a last-minute trip to an antique store for my wife’s Christmas gift one year. I picked up this old jewelry box for her to put her “music stuff” in. I wrote the original version of the story Christmas Eve and placed it in the jewelry box as part of the gift for Christmas morning.” Since that Christmas Eve, Melody’s Gift underwent hundreds of revisions until it was ready for illustrations in the summer of 2018. Over that summer, Mr. Miller and Dr. Babb met in the art studio every week to discuss drawings, conceptualize Dr. Babb’s vision, and collaborate on their ideas. Mr. Miller was inspired by the quiet tone of the story and developed an illustrative style that reflected the story perfectly. After almost a year of illustrating and finishing touches, Mascot Books officially published Melody’s Gift on April 2, 2019. Described as an “inspiring tale [that] is sure to become a classic,” the hard work of these two men has certainly paid off. Throughout the process, Dr. Babb decided that working with Mr. Miller and seeing his words come to life was his favorite part. As for Mr. Miller, his favorite part was “always the next part,” whether it was ideas, rough sketches, or the first illustration. WAEF is proud to honor the work of these two Spartans! Melody’s Gift is available for purchase online at Mascot Books, Amazon, Target, and Barnes & Noble.