Neighborhood-Kids All Local. All for Kids. All the Time.

A Talk with Local Author David Westerlund

by Theresa Carpine10/22/2009 9:13:15 AM

In 2005, David Westerlund headed west. He originally left the East Coast to attend graduate school in Vancouver, B.C., but moved down to Bellingham instead. Right away, he loved the size of our city and the beautiful, green parks.

David and Simone Westerlund
Photo courtesy David Westerlund

He's also a big fan of the Bellingham Farmers Market, so much so that he made its products and people the focus of his first children’s book, Simone Goes to the Market: A Children’s Book of Colors Connecting Face and Food.

"I was inspired to write a book because I was reading to my daughter Simone a lot, who was then four and a half years old at the time. We found a lot of great books and some not-so-great books," David explained.

He cites author Tana Hoban and her simple picture books featuring colors, shapes, and everyday objects as inspiration. Jumping off from that theme, he decided to create a book of colors, featuring things about Bellingham. "I thought, 'Why not focus on the Farmers Market?' because there is so much vitality there," David said.

Combining photographs of faces, market products, and colors, David created a book that celebrates the very best of what Bellingham offers: fresh food and the good people that grow it.

"Our society has become so technologically saturated that machines do all our tasks," David said. "To grow your own food and cook with your kids lets them see that work can be a playful activity. Seeing where our food comes from brings a lot of joy and meaning to life too."

Cover of Simone Goes to the Market
Courtesy David Westerlund

The subjects of the book—the colors, the objects, and the featured farmers—evolved organically. David took his camera to the Market and waited for inspiration to hit. "Some of the people I already knew, like Gretchen from our farm share. I tend to over think things, so I just went with my gut this time and started taking pictures."

David self-published the book in 2008 and has plans to publish another children's book, Downtown Alphabet, later this fall.

"This new book is going to feature a close-up of a downtown business sign, like the M from Mallard Ice Cream and a face of the owner, Ben," David said. "It's a great way to meet your neighbors and take the kids on a scavenger hunt around town to find all the letters."

If you're looking for more ways to expose your children to the wonderful local food sources in Bellingham, David recommends checking out the Local Food Exchange. Run by a non-profit group, Growing Washington, the Local Food Exchange sells 100% local food and is open throughout the week in the spring and summer; fall and winter hours are limited to Thursdays.

"Another great movement is the Whatcom County School Garden Collective," David said, which he learned about at the Bellingham Slow Food Eat-In on Labor Day. He recommends talking to other parents about starting a garden at your children's school.

Visit David’s website, Face and Food, to locate a copy of Simone Goes to the Market and find out more about connecting kids to local faces and food.

A Note About the Author: Theresa Carpine

Theresa Carpine graduated from WWU in 2006 with a BA in English Literature. She enjoys yoga, listening to music, riding her bike in downtown Bellingham, and babysitting really cute kids.