Gilroy resident and author Robert Butler is hoping a higher
power will help children learn their ABCs.
Gilroy resident and author Robert Butler is hoping a higher power will help children learn their ABCs.
Butler, who writes under the pen name Darnell Butler, has just published his book, “ABCs of People in the Bible.”
“I noticed there were a lot of ABC books available, but none that used Bible characters,” Butler said. “I thought it would be good to influence kids at a young age, so this book can be used to help them learn and also as a ministry tool.”
Each letter of the alphabet has been assigned one Bible character. Each character is accompanied by a brief biography and a Scripture passage.
“I took the more popular characters – the ones that had a story behind them – and used them in the book,” Butler explained. “I used characters who had an important role in the Bible and aren’t necessarily just mentioned once.”
Though Butler didn’t consult a pastor or priest when writing the book, he said he did some research and is well-versed in Bible scriptures because he was raised Christian from birth.
“My hope for the book is to of course make some funds, but I hope to use the funds to help the homeless and my family,” said Butler, who has lived in Gilroy for about 20 years.
Another local, Iniobong Uto-Uko, illustrated the book.
“I always thought of (Uto-Uko) as a guy I sat next to in church, but one day, we got to talking and I found he was an artist, and I was writing a book,” Butler said. The two decided to work together.
The collaboration resulted in the 69-page, full-color book, now available on Barnes & Nobles’ and Borders’ Web sites, as well as www.amazon.com. The book is $28.95.
