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Stories Should Provoke Questions
The Boy Who Loved Boxes is a whimsical tale that teaches readers that we can’t control everything in life no matter how hard we try. Why was this an important book for you to write?
It was important to write this book because one, it came fully formed and downloaded to me during a walk in the woods. I was thinking a lot about how we lose our childlike wonder as adults and, as adults, how we live in a constant illusion of control. I started working on the book, which started off very differently than it ended, as these things do. During the middle of it, the pandemic hit and the very thing I was writing about strangely paralleled my own reality. My anxiety, the illusion of control I had in my life, how things fell apart despite how ordered my life was oddly similar to The Man in the book. I conceived this as a picture book for adults to hopefully recapture the wonder of childhood.
What is one piece of advice someone gave you that changed your life?
I was having coffee in Los Angeles many years ago with my friend, Denise Spatafora. She told me that I can design my life on my terms. And for some reason, at the moment in time, it really resonated. And I began to explore what that actually looked like. Intentionality, saying no to things and people that didn’t support my goals, eliminating toxic situations, being bolder and clearer in what I wanted, etc. It’s a lifelong process, but it’s been transformative.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
If they get the intent and spirit behind the book – and some do not, and that’s okay – I hope they realize that peace is not found in the things we own, build or obtain and that they ask themselves what the last box means to them. I know what it means to me personally, but I believe that stories should provoke questions instead of giving answers. So, my ultimate hope is that the story raises some meaningful questions and discussions.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next book is a picture book (this one is actually for children) about two sylvan creatures and their fun-loving adventures. I am collaborating on it with my wife. It’s a story we actually wrote before we had children. We hope it’s the start of a series, but it will be about kindness and not judging others by their appearance. It will be available in the fall of 2022.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
Written and illustrated against the backdrop of the global pandemic, this children’s book for adults is a modern-day allegory exploring the illusion of control and the pursuit of peace. Join our hero and discover that happiness is not always found in the places we expect.
The Boy Who Loved Boxes
The Boy Who Loved Boxes: A Children’s Book for Adults tells the story of a boy who stores everything he owns in nice organized boxes. As he grows, he learns to sort all the parts of his life into compartmentalized boxes like work, emotions, faith, money, and relationships. Then one day, all the boxes fall apart and he is unable to repair them or replace them. All of his things are a mess, broken, or lost. He doesn’t know what to do as his stuff sits in a pile. He is too overwhelmed to sort through or try to fix. Will he ever be able to find a box to hold everything he cherishes?
Author Michael Albanese has written a heartfelt picture book for adults. Choosing to use this format to get his message across adds weight to what he says. This modern-day allegory about trying to control your life and keep everything organized and running smoothly is a common mindset for adults these days. When the pandemic hit, all our boxes fell apart, school, work, relationships, everything around the world changed fast.
The simple verbiage combined with Tod Wilkerson’s artwork really brought the message home. Seeing The Man’s expressions as everything of his falls apart and sits in a pile reminds me of how I felt in those first few weeks that stretched into months. The hopelessness and the joy and acceptance that followed. All the emotions that people worldwide felt can be seen in the pages of this thought-provoking children’s book.
The Boy Who Loved Boxes: A Children’s Book for Adults explores the illusion of control and helps readers gain peace by finding it within themselves. This captivating and poignant book can be shared with children and adults. Adults will understand what The Man was going through, and children can learn that controlling every part of their life and separating it all out will only end with a mess.
Pages: 36 | ISBN : 1732898731
LITERARY TITAN 