THE SHOEPHABET — James, left and Sarah Steele, of Warsaw display a copy of their self-published children’s book, “The Shoephabet.”  James illustrated and designed the book, and Sarah wrote the text. Originally, the book’s illustrations were created around 2006 for a Grace College graphic design class taught by the late Art Davis. Their upcoming book, “The Monsterbet,” features illustrations by Daniel Manduka, who was also in Davis’ class. (Photo by David Hazledine)

WARSAW — It is hard to imagine two people better suited to write children’s books than Sarah and James Steele of Warsaw.

First, they love kids. They have three of their own: Corban, 5; Jaeda, 3; Liddi, 1, and a fourth is on the way. Sarah also taught in Warsaw schools for several years before becoming a full-time mom.

Secondly, their skills are complimentary. James is a graphic artist with a facility for typography and layout design, and Sarah is a writer inspired by Dr. Seuss. “Poetry is my heartbeat,” she said.

“The Shoephabet” is the product of this special alchemy, a book that is educational without being boring. Their goal, said Sarah, was to get kids “looking at ordinary things in unique ways.”

The roots of “The Shoephabet” can be traced to Grace College, where the Steeles met as undergraduates. Sarah studied elementary education and James, graphic design.

An art professor, Art Davis, assigned a typography project wherein students had to render the alphabet in their own style. James used different kinds of footwear, shaped and arranged to represent the letters in surprising ways. The colored pencil drawings earned him first place in a juried art exhibit at Grace.

SARAH’S LITTLE HELPER — The Steele’s son, 5-year old Corban, second from right, reads a passage from “The Shoephabet.” It’s about his favorite sport, baseball. Corban often runs the Power Point when his mom gives presentations of the book at schools and libraries. Sister Jaeda is at right and Liddi, 1, sits on James’ lap. (Photo by David Hazledine)

During the next 10 or 11 years, after the Steeles were married, friends encouraged them to write a book. But the Steeles took their time, never wanting their labor of love to turn into work. “I didn’t want it to be stressful,” Sarah explained. “This is my way of being creative amid the diapers, dishes, laundry, planning meals … .”

Technological advancements in that time also helped. “Print-on-demand has come a long way,” James observed, so self-publishing was not difficult. The couple used Blurb, an online platform where Sarah had already compiled family photo albums.

The reaction was positive. “Our friends appreciate the modern look,” Sarah commented. James put a lot of time into the “little details,” creating a clean, easy-to-read design. And Sarah’s witty, whimsical poems also have a cross-generational appeal.

The first 100 copies sold out in a week. Along with using online outlets Etsy and Amazon, the Steeles have had success at craft shows, where the “homemade aspect” is admired. Events at The Makery in Goshen and Warsaw’s Baker’s Youth Club are just two examples.

Sarah also created a presentation of the “The Shoephabet” for schools and libraries. Corban often accompanies her, running the Power Point and adding interjections of his own. “He loves being my helper.” Both Corban and Jaeda have their favorite passages in the book. Jaeda’s, not surprisingly, is for the letter “J.”

The project has been so rewarding for the Steeles they are already nearly finished with a new alphabet book. “Monsterbet” employs monsters instead of shoes. The text has the refrain, “The ABCs do not scare me!” Fellow Grace-grad, Daniel Manduka, is the illustrator, using his own version of the same project that produced James’ shoes, allowing James to focus more on the type and design. The lettering is more playful and varied, with a decidedly Dr. Seuss-like look.

For the text, Sarah said she had to “pull out my middle school boy” to compliment the new illustrations she described as “really goofy, crazy and gross.”

To get a look at the Steele’s work, visit their Facebook page, TheRedheads, or go to www.etsy.com/ca/shop/TheRedheads.