In a shift from the world of music to the realm of storytelling, Grammy Award-winning artist Maren Morris and her close friend, Karina Argow, a former English teacher, have joined forces to produce a captivating children's book titled "Addie Ant Goes on an Adventure."
This delightful book follows the journey of a young ant named Addie as she embarks on her first solo expedition, guided by the wisdom and encouragement of her garden companions. The story aims to impart values of self-reliance, inquisitiveness, and the significance of seeking assistance to young readers.
The concept for the book emerged from discussions during road trips, where Morris expressed her interest in venturing into children's literature, inspired by her own moments of reading to her son.
"I've always had a desire to create a children's book or a children's album, and then, Karina mentioned, 'Well, I have a whole array of characters in my mind because I spend a lot of time gardening and I invent bugs in my imagination,' and I thought, 'Well, that's half the work,'" Morris shared.
They both chose Addie the ant as their main character to capture the innocence and curiosity of childhood and inspire young readers to be adventurous while staying safe.
"There's a ton of curiosity about the world and it's not quite scary yet, so I feel like we try to touch in the book on, 'Yes, be curious. Yes, ask questions, go on an adventure, but also, know when to avoid someone or just be cautious,'" Morris said. "Those are like survival things as parents and educators that we instill in our children. And we wanted to do it in a not scary way in the book."
The book also emphasizes the power of friendship, reflecting the trust and support between Morris and Argow.
"I don't know what I would do without you," Argow said to Morris in an interview. "And knowing that I can ask for help from you gives me courage, all the time."
Morris mentioned that the book is a way for her to give back to her son and collaborate with her best friend.
"I find collaboration to be incredibly rewarding. Many of my songs are written with my closest friends, so it only felt natural to extend this collaboration to writing a book with her. We've already begun work on book two, so things are really starting to pick up momentum," Morris shared.
