Thomas Key Maddox may be just eleven years old, but he’s already got artists around the world fighting to feature their work. ‘Jack the Puddle Jumper’ was originally written as a bedtime story for Thomas’ younger brother, but has since grown to include a collection of multi-genre art that illustrates his children’s story in a refreshingly novel way. Kids from coast to coast are heartily splashing in Maddox’ engrossing story of a village that has outlawed puddle-jumping and other misbehavior. When the village heats up and jumping in puddles provides the only hope of cooling it down, is Jack willing to break the rules and become a hero? Find out; just bring rubber boots!
Cincinnati, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/05/2014 -- When most kids are sent to their bedrooms, they sulk in the corner or bang the door until Mom and Dad give in for the sake of sanity. However, Thomas Key Maddox enjoys being sent to his room, as it provides yet another opportunity for him to put pen to paper and indulge in his passion for writing. Now aged just eleven, Maddox has achieved success beyond his years through the publication of a children’s book that is part heartwarming story and part celebration of global art.
‘Jack the Puddle Jumper’ was initially written to help Thomas’ younger brother Jack get to sleep, but generated so much excitement that the project leaped out of the water into something never seen before from a child writer.
“Instead of [narrative] illustrations, I collected different styles of artwork from contributors around the world via the internet,” says Thomas, a Hyde Park Square Art Show award winner. “My goal was to bring the story to life through illustrations that are not confined to a single [genre].”
While innovative with its illustrations, Thomas didn’t forget about the story itself.
“Kids love it! It’s charming and heart-warming and funny. The story carries a bold pro-environment theme and it will inspire other children to go out there and find their own puddles. I had hoped it would help my brother Jack get to sleep, but each time we closed the book he was too excited and wanted to run outside to splash around!” he adds.
Book synopsis:
Jack is a young boy who loves jumping in puddles. But his village has outlawed puddle-jumping along with all other misbehavior. But the village is in trouble! The weather is heating up, and only puddle-jumping can cool the village. Can Jack save the village in time?
While a project fuelled by light-hearted fun, Thomas’ work has attracted very serious and favorable reviews from industry critics. The illustrations are an ingeniously whimsical mix of technical diagrams, line drawings, cartoons, and creative reimagining of advertising.
“I may be eleven – but I see this book as my own personal revolution!” says Thomas. “It’s for everyone who doesn’t quite fit into society’s mold and for those rebellious enough to rock the boat. If you’re aged six to nine-years-old, come and join me for the ride!”
‘Jack the Puddle Jumper’ is available now on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle e-book versions:
http://www.amazon.com/Jack-Puddle-Jumper-Thomas-Maddox/dp/1502389290/ref=sr_1_1_twi_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414963517&sr=1-1&keywords=jack+the+puddle+jumper
Follow Thomas’ progress on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1u0iH2m
For more information, visit the book’s official website: http://www.jackthepuddlejumper.com
About Thomas Key Maddox
Thomas Key Maddox, age 12, wrote and illustrated his first book, Jack the Puddle Jumper (2014), as a bedtime story for his younger brother Jack. Thomas started writing at a young age. A Hyde Park Square Art Show award winner, Thomas also created illustrations and curated the multi-genre work of global artists for the interior illustrations.
The young author lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with his brothers Jack, Ben, and stepbrother Roman. Thomas is a 6th grader at Sands Montessori.