SONY PICTURES TELEVISION/TYLER GOLDEN
Sibling duo Ryan Seacrest and Meredith Seacrest Leach release their first-ever picture book, illustrated by Bonnie Lui and molded by childhood imagination.
Leaning on their childhood and firsthand accounts from the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, the brother and sister creatives emphasize the importance of dreaming big. They wish to inspire children to shoot for the stars and never stop, with the result being a celebration of wild wonder and overflowing ambition. Readers can purchase The Make-Believers starting October 8.
CAYCE LONG
Writing Inspiration: The Make-Believers was inspired by Ryan and I chatting about our childhood, and how much we loved to play pretend. We took our everyday surroundings and made them magical and entertaining; a hill in the backyard might be a set of bleachers at a big concert venue, and the flat grass below was a giant stage for our performances. Fast-forward some years, it’s been so fun watching my daughter’s imagination run free; it’s like a mirror reflecting my own childhood. Another point of inspiration was through the work Ryan and I do with the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. We meet so many courageous, inspiring children in hospitals across the country and watch them use their creativity and imaginations to take them beyond hospital walls.
The Message: The story behind The Make-Believers is so important to both of us, as it’s a reflection of our childhood and how our imagination made us into the people we are today. It encouraged us to dream big and never stop. We want to celebrate the power of pretend and encourage kids to enter their own worlds of make-believe. Be anyone you want, meet anyone you want, go anywhere you want. Let blankets become superhero capes and candlesticks become magic wands!
Imagination Fuels Reality: It was fun reminiscing on the characters we’d play growing up, whether Ryan was pretending to be Bon Jovi, or I was dressing up as Madonna. Ryan loved to pretend he was a DJ and would count down the latest hits just like Casey Kasem. What’s wild is that his dream became his reality... he is now the host of American Top 40. You never know how pretend play might transcend and inspire your real life.
The Mission: Through our work with our foundation [Ryan Seacrest Foundation], we have also seen firsthand how using your imagination can do extraordinary things, like make a hospital stay bearable, maybe even a little fun. We believe our picture book is a great way to share this kind of thinking far and wide. We’ve seen how a strong passion for and belief in wonder and exploration can open new doors, escape hatches, and passageways for children at a young age, and we are passionate about continuing that conversation with make-believers everywhere through this story.
Learning Curve: I have learned it is quite a lengthy process to get a book on the shelf. It’s fun and creative and rewarding, too. I really enjoyed working with our editor and illustrator to correlate the illustrations to the words. It is important for the artwork to speak for itself and really represent the message our text is hoping to convey on each page.
Stop by Parnassus Books for a story time with Seacrest Leach on October 19, and find her again at the Southern Festival of Books on October 26. For more information about the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, visit the website. (ryanseacrestfoundation.org)