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Mom’s soup disasters provide inspiration for children’s book

He’s paying homage to his fun-loving family in the best way possible.
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Tsawwassen author Mike Dixon has recently published a new children’s book called Bug Slug Soup.

He’s paying homage to his fun-loving family in the best way possible.

Mike Dixon, a husband, father of three and a registered massage therapist from Tsawwassen, has recently penned the first of what he hopes will be a series of Bug Slug Soup children’s books.

This book tells the tale of discovery and learning based on his family growing up in the 1960s in Victoria.

“Mom, in the early years, was learning to cook. She put a lot of love into her cooking for the family. Some of her soups were delicious and others tasted like an experiment gone bad,” says Dixon. “Dad occasionally liked to play pranks on us kids. Together this idea became a delightful concept for a kid’s picture story book. I dedicate this book in memory of my loving parents.”
This isn’t Dixon’s first foray into publishing as he has published two manual textbooks that he has written on massage therapy programs, which he sells through his website and to colleges across Canada.

“I had the idea of a children’s book for years and years and with a very busy schedule I just didn’t get to it,” he recalls. “Then one day I was home sick and I sat down and it just sort of spilled out in a matter of a few hours. So it’s the stories of my family and also kind of this game that I played with my son about what we could put in each other’s soup, so I morphed those two ideas together and this was the result.”

He says it took him about a year from putting the words to paper and getting in contact with a publisher and an artist, Vancouver-based illustrator and designer Cathryn John.

“We did a Christmas launch and on social media in December of 2018,” says Dixon. “I also started a website where people can purchase the book as well as download a companion colouring book. We also have it in a few book stores, including Black Bond, but other than friends and family and social media, I haven’t really pushed the book until now.”

Dixon hopes to do more of a formal local launch in a few months.

“I think it really came out great,” he says. “The illustrations are light-hearted and fun. It’s ideal I think for ages two to seven. I’m envisioning a seven-book series with this because each of the kids in the first story have their own bug, so the idea is to follow each of the kids now with their bugs and different adventures.”

Dixon has a book launch and signing at Black Bond Books in Ladner on Sunday, Oct. 27 from 1 to 3 p.m. John will also be on hand to promote her work.

To purchase Bug Slug Soup go to https://www.bugslugsoup.com/.