A group of kids is on a school field trip around Denton County, and to say everyone is excited would be an understatement. They’re visiting all these cool places — the Denton Arts & Jazz Festival, Beth Marie’s Ice Cream, Aubrey horse ranches, the famed Flower Mound, and even Texas Motor Speedway. And just when they think the trip can’t get any better, they’re treated to a handful of additional landmarks they never knew existed but are clearly staples of a vibrant and fun community.
Everyone is having a ball — except for one boy named Ned. New to the area and a tad grumpy, Ned isn’t nearly as enthusiastic about his new North Texas home. Thankfully, it doesn’t take long for Ned to come around.
By the end of the trip, he goes from being “NotNed” to flipping with endless excitement over Denton. deNtoN … NotNed … get it?
Ned’s story is the focus of a new Denton County children’s book called “NotNed!” A nonprofit project that promotes childhood literacy, artistic expression, and cultural exchange, “NotNed!” was written by Lantana residents Ryan and Gregg Jackson and brought to life through a collaboration with New Song School of the Arts owners Todd and Heather Parks and their daughter Madison. Local high school art students produced all the artwork and characters featured in the book during a county-wide art contest.
The book will be unveiled at 3 p.m. on April 13 at the Patterson-Appleton Arts Center in Denton. The event is open to the public and will feature performances, original artwork from the book, and scholarship awards for student artists.
“This project is about doing something good for this community,” Ryan Jackson said. The book is written in English, Spanish, and Braille, and 1,000 copies are being donated to every first-grade class in Denton County and local public libraries. “This book represents Denton County; we are very proud of it.”
Todd Parks agreed, adding, “We’ve lived in this area for 25 years, and it’s a dream come true to be a part of writing a children’s book and showcasing the artistic talents that exist in this community. When you see the pictures, you’ll agree it’s incredible.”
“NotNed!” features 25 handpicked businesses and landmarks throughout Denton County. This includes UNT, TWU, NCTC, Unity Park, Peterbilt, Grapevine Lake, Downtown Denton Square, Sharkarosa Zoo, Babe’s Chicken Dinner House in Sanger, Ray Roberts Lake State Park, Old Alton Bridge, Justin Discount Boot Outlet, and more.
“You could argue that there should be 100 landmarks, and you wouldn’t be wrong,” Gregg Jackson said. “We tried to be as fair and balanced as possible with landmarks across the county. It was a fun project to be a part of.”
The Jacksons aren’t new to writing children’s books. In 2018, the father-son duo co-authored a similar project for their hometown of El Paso called “Go, Si El Paso!” As the story goes, Ryan and his wife made it their mission to buy a children’s book from every vacation spot they visited shortly after having their first child. To their surprise, there wasn’t one for El Paso. So, they decided to create one. Fast forward a few years, and Madison Parks heard about the El Paso book while Gregg was mentoring her on potential college major choices. She was instantly intrigued and suggested that they do the same thing for Denton.
Madison’s parents own New Song in Argyle, so launching a fun community arts project was a no-brainer.
The trick was getting everyone in the community on board.
“I wanted to do something that would grow me and challenge me as a person while also serving the community,” Madison said. While Ryan and Gregg wrote the book, Madison spearheaded community outreach and pitched the idea to teachers, local mayors, school districts, librarians, and everyone in between. “I was making phone calls, sending emails, and being that connecting person.”
The process was certainly detailed. Last summer, Guyer High School student Courtney Cole was brought in as the character illustrator for Ned and his friends Cassi and Isaac. Last fall, high school art students drew popular area landmarks and competed for their artwork to appear in the finished book. An esteemed panel judged the artwork, and the final selections were chosen.
The Jacksons and Parks said everyone is invited to the unveiling party on April 13. Additional books will be available for sale at the project website and a handful of retail locations, such as the Discover Denton Visitor Center. Each copy sold will help fund the purchase of an additional copy.
“I always wanted to be involved in writing a children’s book and doing something like this with our daughter. Ryan and Gregg made it much better,” Todd Parks said. “The attention to detail is evident. It’s a great value to this community.”
To learn more about “NotNed!,” please visit www.readnotned.com.
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