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May 2025

Alums partner to write, illustrate children's books

Kelli Thompson Watson first adopted her Bassett hound, Boo, to become a service animal three years ago. Now, he’s the star of a new series of children’s books aimed at using classic dog antics to teach valuable lessons.

“He’s been a great service animal and is just a great guy,” said Watson, BA’90, MCM’17, who currently lives in Ardmore, Okla. “Then in October, one of Randy’s coworkers said they have a

Bassett hound and their daughter is allergic and were going to take her to the pound. We said, ‘No, we will take her.’ And that’s how we got Winnie.”

Kelli said the two dogs bonded instantly and became fast friends. While watching them play one day, she thought their antics might make a great children’s book and she knows how much kids love dogs. So she started writing.

Knowing she was onto something, Kelli reached out to another 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÊÓƵ alumnus, Joanna Shutts, BA’14, and asked if she would be her illustrator for the books. She jumped at the chance, and the pair published their first book in September 2024, titled Winnie and Boo’s Alphabet Safari.

Adopted on Halloween and aptly named, Boo is four, trained specially to help Kelli deal with anxiety, depression and PTSD. If he senses the need, he gets Kelli to sit down and applies a pressure hug.

While Winnie is not a trained service dog, she has added joy and companionship for Kelli and husband Randy, who formerly worked on the WBU campus and now works for Premier Truck Group.

“Every morning, Boo comes to see how I am doing, and he smells my nose,” Kelli explains. “She’s not trained, but she has picked up on some of those tendencies. She's a really good girl. And if I'm having a bad day, she will come and sit by me because Boo is right here.”

While Kelli’s first book is already selling on Amazon.com, she has already written a second Winnie and Boo book and Joanna is already working on illustrations. The two met while Kelli was working as

the administrative assistant for longtime theatre director Dr. Marti Runnels from 2012-2017 and Joanna was a student in the department. A missionary kid raised in Lesotho who now serves and lives overseas, she and Kelli make the partnership work since they can do so much electronically.

“I give her full reign. I give her the text and she does whatever she wants to do. I tell her what text I want on what spread, and then just give her creative license,” she said of Joanna’s part of the books.

“I have had a passion for the arts since I was a child and was often found drawing in my free time and participating in drama productions,” said Joanna. “Winnie and Boo are the first characters I have created, and this is the first book I have illustrated.”

The second Winnie and Boo book will tell the story of how the two became friends and how that has developed over time. But that won’t be nearly the end of the furry duo if Kelli and Joanna have anything to say about it.

“The one that we're working on right now is how Winnie and Boo meet. And they are designed for inclusion you could say,” said Kelli. “I have one book where they meet a stinky goat. And he's stinky and they hold their noses and they make the goat cry. So they figure out that we need to be nice to people, even if they're different.”

Kelli said she feels like there are already about 50 books ready to add illustrations and send to publish, but the artwork portion is the part that takes so much time. She uses a Google Doc file and keeps notes on her phone in case she gets inspired by something when she is away from home and can flesh it out later.

“Of course, being a children's book, they're not as wordy as adult books are, so they're fairly easier to write. The first one is about the alphabet. A is for adventure, and then the illustrations are just stinking amazing,” said Kelli. “And one of the things that I do in my book is – even though they are for young children – I do put vocabulary in there that they will need a little help with. I think it's important for children to learn vocabulary. It's important for them to learn words and to be challenged. And so that's one of the things that I actually do in every one of these stories.”

One of those big words is ‘mischievous,’ which Kelli said both defines the canine pair and is in every single book they have written.

“I want children to learn vocabulary, and I want it to be fun. And besides learning inclusion and other lessons and morals, that's something I want them to learn,” she said.

To help in that effort, Kelli created a workbook to accompany the first Winnie and Boo book that is

also available on Amazon. In keeping with the alphabet theme, there are places for children to practice writing, do puzzles, color and draw to incorporate fun into the reading and vocabulary process. She said there may be more workbooks to come depending on the topic of future books like counting, days of the week and more.

Kelli has aimed the books at children ages 2-6, knowing that parents will need to read them to their youngsters and that creates both a learning and bonding time. So far she has only shared the projects on her Facebook page but hopes to get more attention for the books as time goes by.

Future topics include Winnie and Boo facing a thunderstorm, learning manners, having a cookie adventure, encountering a cranky cat and some heavier topics like facing the death of a loved one or meeting children with chronic illnesses.

Besides the dog books, Kelli published another book in February for babies titled Growing Hands, Growing Me. She explained that the book has partial illustrations and parents can use their children’s hands and footprints to finish the illustrations. The idea came from a friend and Kelli brought it to life. She already has ideas to expand that series as well.

Kelli’s books can be found at Amazon.

 

Devotional: Embracing God's Presence in Life's Transitions

Scripture Reading:
"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." — Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)​

Reflection:
Life is a series of transitions—graduations, new jobs, moving to new places, changes in relationships, or shifts in health. Each transition brings its own set of emotions: excitement, fear, uncertainty, or hope. In these moments, it's comforting to remember that God is unchanging and ever-present. Hebrews 13:8 reminds us, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

Transitions can be opportunities for growth. Romans 12:2 encourages us, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind." As we navigate changes, we can seek transformation that aligns us more closely with God's will.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." This verse reminds us that transitions are a natural part of life, and each season has its purpose.

Encouragement:
If you're in a season of transition right now, know this:

• God is with you. He doesn’t just call you forward and leave you to figure it out. He walks with you each step of the way.

• God is preparing you. Every transition grows something in you: trust, patience, courage, humility.

• God’s plan is good. Even when the road feels rough, His ultimate goal for you is hope, not harm.

 

Transitions can be a beautiful invitation to lean deeper into God's heart. In the space between what was and what will be, God invites us to trust Him like never before.

 

In the Mix

Class of 1976 – 50-Year Reunion Celebration!

In 2026, will celebrate 50 years since the Class of 1976 graduated! To make this milestone reunion the best one yet, class representatives are working hard to stay in regular communication with classmates.

Several opportunities are being planned for the Class of 1976 to reconnect, reminisce, and celebrate together—and more updates will be shared as plans develop. In addition, classmates from the Classes of 1974–1978 are warmly invited to join the celebration!

If you would like more information or are interested in helping with planning, please contact Valerie Wright Ritchie at bobvalerietx@gmail.com or David Jones at dbjoneshome@suddenlink.net.

We can’t wait to see you back at 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÊÓƵ!

 

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