Rosemary Wells, author of the “Max and Ruby” series of books considers herself a “very lucky woman” because she’s able to put her artistic abilities to use creating children’s stories.
Her sibling rabbit characters, Max and Ruby, are based on Wells’ children when they were 5 years old and 9 months old.
“I watched my kids and how they worked together,” Wells said. “I used that for the base of a set of books.”
It was 30 years ago that Wells developed those characters, and tonight they appear in a children’s show at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts’ Bill Heard Theatre.
“I’m very happy to say, ‘Max and Ruby’ is a stage play. I think live theater is one of the most important gifts you can give your children. Children spend entirely too much time in front of screens, both television and computer. Live theater opens up their little eyes.”
She’s pleased with Koba Entertainment interpretation of her books. The stage play maintains “the wholesome and innocent culture for children” that she created with her stories.
Initially, Wells was worried about signing over the rights of her books because it meant relinquishing control over how her work would be interpreted.
She asked Koba producers if she could be a consultant, and they agreed.
“We used three or four existing story lines and wove them together for ‘Bunny Party,’ ” she said. “It was done in the nicest possible way. They really did a great job.”
In the show, the bunny siblings work together to plan a birthday party for a special guest.
Right now, Wells is hard at work, writing a new “Max and Ruby” book.
Wells also writes the “Yoko” stories. Like Max and Ruby, Yoko is based on true experiences.
When her children were growing up in Westchester County in New York, there was a nearby Mitsubishi office. Wells’ kids went to school with many of the Japanese executives’ kids .
Wells’ children befriended a little girl named Yoko, who would translate for her mother, who didn’t speak English.
“These three little Japanese kids would come to school with their bento (lunch) boxes packed by their mothers,” Wells said.
The American children were fascinated by the foreign food, which sometimes included sushi.
“My daughter is now 37, so this was maybe 30 years ago,” Wells said. “Sushi was not as popular as it is now.”
Yoko offered her lunch to the class, and only one was brave enough to try it. Once that child said it was good, the other children tried Yoko’s lunch, too.
The first Yoko book, based on that incident, was published in 1998, and there have been several since.
Wells said her books always have a happy ending and a positive message.
“Whether it’s Yoko or Max and Ruby, when parents read to their children, their children will get it because it’s such a change from what our kids usually get, which is vulgar and inappropriate.”
Wells writes the stories, does the illustrations that go with the stories.
“I’ll continue to work,” she said. “I’m extremely blessed to have this talent.”
