A little girl isn't who you'd expect to find in a superhero tale, but that's who stars in Sudbury author Kenny Wilson's new self-published kids' book, “The Adventures of Rabbit Girl: Rise of the Hero.”
Evy Edwards, a Grade 3 student at Pinecone Elementary School, gains superhero powers when she eats a special salad, and becomes Rabbit Girl.
She is approached by a coach who trains her to become a hero. But she struggles with the training and wonders if she's cut out for the role.
Then Pinecone Elementary is attacked by a troll, and Evy rises to the occasion and saves her school.
Wilson said the book was inspired by his six-year-old daughter, Evelyn — Evy (and Rabbit Girl) are actually based loosely on Evelyn.
He said he wanted to teach her that she doesn't need to be scared to try new and difficult things.
“I thought I'd write a story about a hero who's hesitant,” he said. “She's not sure she can make it. It's not until she puts other people's needs ahead of herself that she comes in to her own.”
He said the book's message is that “if you put other people ahead of you, and you act in love of your common man, that love will overcome any fear that you have.”
Working with illustrator Raisa Salvador of the Phillipines, Wilson already released a kids' book, “Tommy and the Christmas Coal,” before Christmas.
He plans to continue the kids' superhero series, with three more books planned. Salvador also illustrated "Rabbit Girl" and will illustrate the other books in the works.
Wilson said he always wanted to become an author, but was inspired to make his dream a reality after telling bedtime stories to his daughter.
If you'd like to buy a copy of the book, it's available for sale locally at Bay Used Books, as well as at the downtown farmer's market, where Wilson will be signing books every Saturday until Oct. 23.
It's also available online through Amazon.
