THUNDER BAY — Steve McKeown is an electrician by trade.
He began a series of books that aim to inspire children to go for the skilled trades.
“The animal trades book series started with Lion the Electrician. It started as a personal goal. It was something that I wanted to write to explain and express to my kids what I did for work,” he said.
That process led him to realize that there are not a lot of children’s books out there that capture or encourage kids to pursue the trades.
“That led me to a question: why don't we talk about the skilled trades the same way we talk about other professions like being an astronaut or being a fireman, or being a police officer?”
McKeown said that Thunder Bay is a fairly trade-heavy city, and for parents in trades who can read a book with their career in it to their child will be great.
“The feedback from anyone related to the trades or who has experience with that or a family connection to that has always been positive.
“They're happy that they can finally showcase to their kids the same way I could, what they do for work. I find that the real feedback that I get from the community comes from families that don't have any sort of trade relation.
“When I hear from the family of a child who are maybe an accountant or a teacher or a lawyer or whatever they happen to do for work that has no direct connection to the trades, that their child is now watching YouTube videos that have a STEM connection or have a trades related connection to it or they're asking questions about why the lights flickering in the house or how a light switch works, those are the connections that I really like to see.”
It sparks curiosity in children and can lead them down a path of a rewarding career at the end, McKeown said.
The book includes activity pages where children can interact and learn more.
“The skilled trades are facing a significant work shortage, and I think we all see that. Introducing the trades to children at a younger age should be part of a long-term solution.
“By providing inclusive and diverse content when it comes to the characters themselves, children are able to open their eyes and see that there are other possibilities. Essentially, I think that you're planting the seeds of change, and you're showing them that (they) can do that,” he said.
Lion the Electrician is available and can be purchased at Indigo and Entershine Bookshop in Thunder Bay. The French version of Lion the Electrician is coming out in August.
Bear the Carpenter, the next book in the series, based upon a female character, is going to be coming out this fall.
“It's a book for everyone. It's for early readers, and it's easy to digest content with excellent illustrations.
“Everybody should be able to do these types of jobs, not just specific types of people,” McKeown said.
