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Darlene Grablowski, of Madison Heights, holds up a copy of her new book “Molly Visits Grandma” during the Authors Fair at the Troy Community Center Nov. 16. The book is inspired both by her own experiences visiting family on a farm, as well as the life of her late niece.
Photo provided by Darlene Grablowski
MADISON HEIGHTS — A former elementary school teacher, Darlene Grablowski has long been fascinated by children’s books and their ability to captivate young minds.
Now, the Madison Heights resident has written one herself — a tale inspired by the life of her niece who died young but left an impression on all who met her.
“Molly Visits Grandma,” authored by Grablowski and illustrated by Pennsylvania-based artist Leslie Jones, follows the eponymous 5-year-old as she visits her grandmother’s farm. The book was released earlier this fall through KWE Publishing.
“My own great-grandmother lived in the village of Ubly, Up North. She had a farm with all kinds of animals running around — chickens, geese, ducks, cats, dogs. I grew up in Detroit and was very young back then, so it was a whole different world for me,” Grablowski said. “We’re Polish, and the women in our culture are very strong. My grandmother was so sturdy and strong-willed.”
The memory of that farm inspired the setting and scenario of the book. The heroine, however, was based not on Grablowski but on her niece, Melissa Lynn Kobe, who died at age 41 in 2021 while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in California. The cause of death: heatstroke from 115-degree weather.
While tragic, Grablowski said Kobe lived her life doing what she loved, right up to the end.
“To Melissa, life was an adventure. She loved people, and lived her life the way she wanted,” Grablowski said of her niece. “She was a great photographer, too. She loved taking pictures, and she saw everything around her as an adventure. That’s how I want Molly to live her life. And I hope it will inspire the reader, too.”
Kobe’s passing, and a desire to pay tribute to her, was the catalyst for Grablowski picking up the pen and writing “Molly Visits Grandma.” The story celebrates the strength of family bonds and evokes the sense of wonder experienced by kids.
She said a good children’s book has timeless appeal, resonating with both the young and young at heart. It should be an easy read, too, but that doesn’t mean writing it will be simple.
“When you’re working with children, you have to be precise. Every word counts. It has to be precise, fun, colorful. So, you just write out your ideas at first — doesn’t matter what it sounds like — and then you edit it, continually, so you get it right where you want it,” Grablowski said. “It’s ultimately about structure. It’s certainly a process.”
That process began in 2021 not long after Kobe’s passing and began to pick up speed once Grablowski met Jones, the illustrator who lends the book its cozy, dreamlike aesthetic. Jones is best friends with the wife of Grablowski’s nephew, which is how Grablowski met her.
“It’s like it was meant to be,” Grablowski said. “Leslie calls me Aunt Dar — she’s just wonderful. She’s like a bright light — kind of like Melissa! And she got it right away what I wanted to do with this. She chose soft-colored pencils, because we wanted it to be soft and warm. It has a tactile quality.”
Jones, for her part, said she was quickly on board with the project. It called to mind her own childhood memories raking leaves with her grandfather, or her grandmother baking cookies and teaching her piano lessons.
“Aunt Dar has such a radiant, kind, sweet energy, and I thought that really shined through in her words,” Jones said. “I thought, ‘This is the sweetest children’s book I’ve ever heard!’ I really loved the book because it made me think of lovely, beautiful moments I had with my own grandmother.”
With her art, she strove to capture the comfy quality of being surrounded by loved ones.
“I just love when Molly meets the chickens, or when she and her grandmother are making cookies together and she says, ‘I’m a baker,’ and the grandma replies, ‘You are a baker!’ Just being someone who supports her dreams and loves her as a person,” Jones said. “I was just really excited to work on this project. It took time and love, but it was worth every second.”
Grablowski said that she’s already planning future installments. Possible ideas include Molly visiting a zoo and a museum — maybe even going camping.
“There are endless possibilities,” Grablowski said, before adding she hopes to work with Jones again on the next book. “It’s a solid partnership, for sure.”
The best part, she said, has been seeing the book in the hands of children, and their reaction to the story.
“I have a friend at work, and her great-grandniece loves the book, and her great-grandchildren love it, too. Even my great-niece, who’s 2 years old, loves it,” Grablowski said. “It just feels amazing. I’m just so happy that people are relating to it.”
“Molly Visits Grandma” is out now, available online just about everywhere that books are sold, including amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, walmart.com and more.
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