In 2002 I found myself in Sand City, Ca investigating some very neat artisan shops with my father. One in particular had a mass of old plaster molds, and amongst these underappreciated dusty relics was a solitary lovably lopsided penguin. Without hesitating, my father snatched it up as a present for me, and before we left the shop I’d named him Elkbar. Or maybe that’s what he told me his name was. Regardless, after many moves since, he always has a place on my shelf. Currently, he guards my vinyl records.

Not long after I found Elkbar I was given a college assignment of writing a short story. Although it’s voice was slightly more in the style of a yarn-spinning story teller,  the story I wrote then was the story of our dear Elkbar in this book. I knew I must make the tale into a kids’ book and I thought I’d illustrate it. I got half-way through the first piece, a water color of Elkbar, and thought maybe I shouldn’t illustrate the book. When I was finished I was more than convinced. So I began a long (way longer than 7.06285 seconds) journey to find the right person to give Elkbar the wings he needed to fly. I mean that figuratively; penguins don’t fly. Naturally.

In 2008, after finding and losing artists, all with great and different looks for our hero, I found that person in Chris Fason, and he was all in! Mostly. He loved the project, but had family to feed and bills to pay, and I just didn’t have the resources to compensate him for his time. Elkbar was on the backburner, but ever in our minds. 

Then crowd funding became a thing. It became the way to make this happen, and in 2012 we raised the money to get “Elkbar” printed! 136 backers, more than a few complete strangers, gave us what we needed to print 500 copies of the book in January of 2013.

Ten years have passed since Elkbar debuted in print, and I’ve only a small handful, personal copies, of those original 500 books. Life has had joys and pains, ups and downs, and failures and accomplishments, but those who’ve been friends of Elkbar have never stopped loving the story, and have encouraged me (sometimes very vocally) to write more of Elkbar’s journeys.  I will. 

But first I want to re-release this book to a larger audience, and to more friends for Elkbar. This book is nearly identical to the 2013 book, with minor art changes, and a smattering of changes to the text. Moving forward, the format, art, and style may change, much like the look of Elkbar did from artist to artist, but at the heart of it will always be the original Elkbar.

Much Love, 

taylor mosbey

October 13, 2023