Children’s author, Karen Sanders, explores the wonder of ‘weird’

Karen Sanders and Hannah Howerton own a company, Lionel Place, based out of Sacramento, California. The theme of their collective work is “Weird is Wonderful.” Contributed photo.

MARY LOU MONTGOMERY

The company town of Ilasco served as the inspiration for a children’s book which, a decade after its original publication, continues to offer lessons on anti-bullying and acceptance.

The author of “The Little Lemon That Leapt,” is Hannibal native Karen Sanders, who based her book, in part, upon her childhood memories of Ilasco. That’s where her grandmother, Anna Julia Hustava Sanders lived, and Karen’s father, Lionel Richard Sanders (1936-2016) grew up.

There were perhaps seven languages spoken in the village of Ilasco, Karen said.

“Dad really learned, growing up in that village, that differences are to be celebrated. You never make fun of anyone who is different. My grandma lived in Monkey Run. Anna's father, Joseph Hustava, came through Ellis Island. Honestly, I can remember delivering food to Uncle John, who spoke very broken English, across the road from Grandma.

“Grandma could communicate, the languages were similar. That little village and how they came here to follow a dream … they were all hard working people.”

What really contributed to the melting pot of the community was the fact that, “in Hannibal, people were scared of the foreigners, (who came to America in order to work at the cement plant) afraid they could come into town and cause trouble.

“So (the immigrants) mostly created their own little world, and what a special world it was.

“For me, getting to see it:  Al’s Tavern. We went to the Holy Cross Church. Across the way, playing in the creek. There was nothing like the Holy Cross ice cream social when I was a kid.

“I feel like my childhood was really special, getting exposed to that.”

Inspiration

“My dad was a huge inspiration in my life; every day he taught me lessons, put tools in my tool box. I always hear his voice in my head. He wasn’t a perfect person, but he always did the right thing.

“He brought so much to the table, acceptance and understanding. He was so sensitive that everyone feel included. You don’t have to change yourself to be included, just be who you are. The beauty of the specialness is in who you are. If people could just embrace that, they would not be afraid of someone who is different.”

And that is the concept behind “The Little Lemon That Leapt.”

There was an urgency to complete the book. “I got it done before Dad passed. Dad was one of one; I was blessed with two incredible parents.” Her mother is Carole Sims Sanders.

“I really wanted to write this book while my dad was alive, to share his legacy.”

The book notion had been floating around in Karen’s mind for a long time before she ever put pen to paper. She graduated from the University of Central Missouri in 1987, with a bachelor of science degree in journalism and a minor in English.

“I always loved writing and telling stories,” Karen said. After graduating from college, she went to California with her sister, who was a traveling nurse. “I’ve been (in California) since 1987.” While she has now lived in California longer than she lived in Missouri, she admits that  “Home is always home.”

During her career, she worked in television and radio, but ultimately took a job as a buyer for Ralph Lauren, a dream job that continued for nearly 20 years.

In the meantime, she did a little writing on the side, and was always journaling.

When she left the job with Ralph Lauren, she told her daughter, Hannah, that she had always wanted to write a children’s book.

“Don’t talk about doing it, just do it,” Hannah told her.

Doodles turned into illustrations, and concepts transformed into text.

Lionel’s Place

Hannah, who graduated from U.C. Berkley with plans to attend law school, instead turned her attention to the marketing of her mother’s book and associated products.

Today, the two are partners in “Lionel’s Place,” a company, named after Karen’s father, with the message: “Choose Weird,” the concept from the book, “The Little Lemon That Leapt.”

“My daughter wears a lot of hats,” Karen said. “I am the idea person.”

Karen tells Hannah, “I want a line that looks like this. 

“She will come back with something better than I had imagined. We are a really good team. With merchandise, we kind of like to call Lionel the steward of the classroom. We’re always coming up with different ideas, we definitely respond to what is selling.”

Merchandise associated with the “Weird” theme includes enamel pens, stickers that kids like to put on their water bottles, and patches.

“We did an illustrative collection of ‘weirdos’ who made the world wonderful, such as Prince,  who as a child music prodigy was bullied; and Michael Phelps, (swimming gold medalist) who had long arms and looked different as a kid. But those long arms gave him an extra reach.”

And it all circles back to “The Little Lemon That Leapt.”

“Lionel, he’s a little lemon who doesn’t realize he’s different. He doesn’t realize lemons don’t leap. He meets different characters along the way.

“Our ballerina in the book wears a pink tutu. He’s a buffalo, he’s not going to let anyone tell him differently.”

“The Ginormous giraffe says that lemons don’t leap. ‘Does that make me weird?’ the lemon asked. “Absolutely, and weird is wonderful.”

“I was trying to get a lesson out there to kids. The number one word kids will use is ‘weird’. We wanted to disarm bullies and teach kids, that ‘weird’ is where the wonder is.

“A lot of great beautiful minds think differently. With trying to teach kids that lesson, we hit on something that really resonated with teachers, educators. We do school presentations; we’ve been doing it a long time. Kids who are going to college now, say, ‘that was my favorite book.’”

“The beauty of specialness is in who (the person) is. If people could just embrace that, they wouldn’t be afraid of someone who is different.

“Our book has really tapped into kids pontine spectrum. It encompasses different ways that the brain can work, (such as ADD and autism.) That’s where kids get bullied. Brains work differently; let’s celebrate what makes our brain different.

“There are so many different ways your brain can work together; it’s a beautiful symphony.”

Karen admits that there is a bit of herself woven into the book’s pages.

As a child, “The bus picked me up at 6:45, from Antioch Lane.” It went on to pick up children in Ilasco and Saverton.” She was on the bus for an hour and a half each way.

“I kind of got picked on, reading big thick books on the bus. But the joke was on them. While they were  stuck on the school bus, I was traveling all over the world in my imagination; I wasn’t on that school bus.” She got to embrace what made her different.

“I grew up to write my very own book.

“I’m looking at 60 right down the barrel,” she said, and is reflective of the time she has left. “I spent too much time in my life watering dead flowers.

“We all need to be elevated, be around someone who lifts you to a higher level.

Books and related materials may be ordered through the company’s website:

https://www.lionels.place/

Karen Sanders, right, and her daughter, illustrator and business partner, Hannah Howerton, are collaborators on a unique children’s book that conveys the anti-bullying message: “Choose Weird.” Contributed photo

Lionel Sanders poses for a photo at his favorite restaurant, Lula Belle’s. He died in 2016. He serves as the inspiration for the children’s book, “The Little Lemon That Leapt,” by his daughter, Karen Sanders. Contributed photo

Mary Lou Montgomery, Suburban Newspapers of America Editor of the Year, Dailies, 2010, retired as editor of the Hannibal (Mo.) Courier-Post in 2014. She researches and writes narrative-style stories about the people who served as building blocks for this region’s foundation. Books available on Amazon.com by this author include but are not limited to: "The Notorious Madam Shaw," "Pioneers in Medicine from Northeast Missouri,” “Hannibal’s ‘West End,’” “Oakwood: West of Hannibal,”  and “St. Mary’s Avenue District.” Montgomery can be reached at Montgomery.editor@yahoo.com Her collective works can be found at www.maryloumontgomery.com