The LITTLE CAPTAIN

2021

A 40 page illustrated story-book about grappling for answers and holding onto the precious things we've lost.

The Little Captain is a 40 page illustrated story-book. It’s about grappling to hold onto the things we’ve lost and searching for answers to things that are not easily explained .

It's the story of a young boy named Wilkie who lives with his family on a ship until one day he is snatched by the sea and taken on a harrowing journey as he fights to find his way back to them.

Though the story does not culminate in a classic fairytale resolve, a remnant of hope is buoyed by the echoes of a lost memory.

I wrote this story after the loss of my seven-month old son, Jones in 2018.

In the weeks and months that followed after Jones’ passing, we were kindly gifted various “grief books.” Some were paperbacks for adults and others were story books for our three young daughters. As I read these story books to my daughters, I soon found that the eloquence of their brevity, coupled with the magnificence of their illustrations resonated with me much more than the densely worded paperbacks intended for someone my age.

And so, I wrote The Little Captain in the hope that I might tell a simple story about the mosaic of emotions, questions and hurt that rises up within us when life takes a very unexpected turn.

-Lindley Joyner