Willard High School teacher Zachariah Rippee has written and illustrated children’s books before. He was the sole mind behind “The Crocogatabumbadile Colors the World” and the “Elijah” series but for his most recent project, Rippee took on a partner: his 8-year-old daughter, Linkyn.
“He was doodling on his Chromebook and then I came upstairs to see what he was doing,” the Willard third-grader said. “We started talking and our ideas came together, so we made a book.”
“Gordon & the Ghostfish: The Art of Introductions,” which credits both Rippee and his daughter as authors, is available now on Amazon. It follows Gordon, an imaginary goldfish who is a master in the art of introductions. He guides the narrator, Fancyvoice McTalkypants, through the trials of meeting new friends under an imaginary sea.
“Goldfish don’t inhabit the ocean, but they inhabit an imaginary ocean,” Rippee said.
“It was 100% a collaborative effort”: The creative process for “Gordon & the Ghostfish”
Rippee, who lives in Billings but teaches art and English in Willard’s SUCCESS alternative school program, has always liked to doodle. On a recent snow day, he found one of his old sketches: a drawing of a goldfish and a ghostly-looking fish. Linkyn saw the drawing and had a few ideas for a story.