Alton Carter and Tim Jessell have been friends for decades

They first met when Tim was coaching Alton’s oldest son, Kelton. It wasn’t long before they were coaching along side each other.
One afternoon a big thunderstorm rolled towards their sons’ youth football team’s practice. Alton volunteered to take both teams to his church’s gym for shelter from the storm.

As the boys played basketball, Alton and Tim were talking in the nearby kitchen, as heavy rain fell outside. Tim began asking about Alton’s childhood. Soon, the artist's jaw dropped at what Alton was telling him. Alton detailed how is family’s poverty, abuse, and drug use eventually left Alton an orphan.

Tim now realized the trusted friend, father, husband, and coach who stood next to him was also a miracle of self determination on what Alton had survived and overcome.

As a long time professional illustrator, Tim had connections in the publishing world. He told Alton that day, “I’m going to to connect you with a publisher as your triumphant story has to be told."

Alton's story, indeed, was told in first published book The Boy Who Carried Bricks and the follow up Aging Out, in which Tim illustrated the cover, with Alton’s son Colin posing for Tim’s reference for the artwork.

The friends talked often about doing a picture book together. Then late one night Tim received a message from Alton. “I have a story that came to me the other night.” When Tim read Alton’s little gem, he immediately and eagerly agreed to illustrate it, as he felt that strongly about the important, simple, and yet endearing story.