Deptford resident Louis Pesci has had a passion for art and storytelling since his early youth.
His lifelong devotion to writing and design came into play with the publication of his new children’s book, “Theo’s Adventures in Time.” The book chronicles the early and later inventions of a child prodigy named Theo, including a perpetual bouncing ball and flying shoes. Theo journeys through time and encounters dinosaurs, mummies and Albert Einstein, a major inspiration for the story.
“Visiting the Einstein monument in Princeton and reading the quote, ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge,’ triggered my mind,” Pesci said. “And at that moment, I imagined a time traveler talking to Einstein.
“The creative process started with a rough story and from that a series of sketches that eventually evolved over two years to the finished book,” he added.
The quote that inspired Pesci is used as a major theme in his book as the thought-provoking, colorful images showcase Theo’s thrilling adventures.
“Theo symbolizes Einstein’s quote that imagination is more important than knowledge, which proves to be the lesson of the book,” Pesci noted “The art I created and story I created both represent the power of imagination and why it is important to use your imagination, especially in these times of such division.”
Pesci’s creative process for “Theo’s Adventures” included writing notes and then complimenting them with drawing ideas. He flickered back and forth from writing to drawing to allow for the story and artwork to combine as one piece. But coming up with the design style for the book was a task all its own.
“First I wanted to give the art a sense of nostalgia and slightly larger-than-life quality, which happens a great deal in regards to Theo’s inventions,” the author said. “Also, with some of the dinosaurs, one can see some of the nostalgic elements being played out.
“The dinosaurs bear a resemblance to certain movie dinosaurs that Theo would probably watch,’’ Pesci added. “All the dinosaurs are a good deal larger because I wanted to give this book the sense of wonder a child has, since indeed it is intended for a child’s eyes”
Pesci did a book signing at the Ram Arcade in Haddonfield on Dec. 11 and gave away free prints from the book. “Theo’s Adventures in Time” is currently available on the Barnes and Noble website, and Pesci wants to do more signings.
Pecsi can be contacted about his books and digital art by emailing [email protected].
