By Kyle Rust
Founder of Roarwood & Author of Welcome to Roarwood

How a Learning Project for My Son Became a Children’s Book—and a Brand

The past few months have taken me on a journey I never expected.

What started as a simple parenting project—creating a character to help my son learn and grow—quickly turned into a full-fledged children’s book, an interactive memory game, an online brand, and even a small publishing company.

It’s been messy, magical, and meaningful. Here’s how it all began—and why I think other parents, teachers, and dreamers should pay attention to their own creative sparks.

---

How It Started: Building a Learning Game for My Son

It all started with a memory match game.

I wanted to create something fun and educational for my son—something that would help him work on focus, pattern recognition, and memory skills. So I started building a simple card game with original characters, just for us to play together.

That’s when I came up with Koobi—a lion cub prince full of energy, curiosity, and charm. His name is a play on my son’s initials, a little inside joke just between us. At first, Koobi was just a cute character on a few cards.

But as I kept developing the game, the characters began to grow beyond the gameplay.

At the same time, something else was happening in real life: my son had entered a new phase. He was getting bolder, testing limits, breaking things (accidentally… mostly), and occasionally fibbing to avoid consequences. As a dad, I wanted to help him learn about honesty and accountability—but without turning every mistake into a lecture.

That’s when the idea for a story clicked. Not just a game with characters—but a full picture book, with a message.

---

When Characters Take on a Life of Their Own

Once I started thinking in terms of story, everything opened up.

I added new characters—each one a reflection of something I’ve seen in parenting or childhood:

• Milo, a vine-swinging monkey with too much energy and not quite enough caution.
• Queen Mazi, Koobi’s warm and regal mom whose hugs fix everything.
• King Lyle, the big-hearted but overconfident jungle king who means well but often gets in over his head.
• Quinny, a new arrival with brains, calm wisdom, and a plan for everything.

The more I built the world of Roarwood, the more real it felt. These weren’t just card game icons anymore—they had personalities, relationships, and lessons to teach.

And before I knew it, I had written a full children’s picture book.

---

Welcome to Roarwood: A Picture Book About Chaos, Consequences, and Character

I called it Welcome to Roarwood—a laugh-out-loud jungle adventure about friendship, chaos, and doing the right thing when it counts.

In the story, Koobi dares his friend Milo to pull off a wild vine stunt. Predictably, it ends in disaster. They crash into the kingdom’s brand-new welcome sign, splinters go flying, snack time is ruined, and the king’s pride takes a hit.

Koobi knows he needs to tell the truth—but he’s scared. That’s when Quinny the Koala shows up, offering calm wisdom and helping guide them back to accountability.

The message is one I wanted my son to learn: When you mess up, it’s better to be honest than to cover it up.

When I read it aloud to my son, he giggled at Milo’s antics, nodded along with Koobi’s big choice, and—best of all—started retelling the story in his own words later that week.

That’s when I knew I had something worth sharing.

---

From Side Project to Small Business: The Birth of Roarwood

What started as a little memory match card game quickly grew into something much bigger.

I thought I was just making a fun project for my son. Next thing I know, I’m writing a full picture book, researching self-publishing, buying ISBNs, and designing a Koobi lovey—a super-soft bamboo blanket with his lion face on it, perfect for snuggles.

I built Roarwood.com to serve as the home base for all things Roarwood—printables, story updates, behind-the-scenes art, and whatever else this jungle-sized adventure grows into.

I even created a small publishing company called Green Paw Press, just to make it official.

And like any good side project… I’ve already poured in way more time, energy, and money than I meant to.

---

Why Parents Shouldn’t Ignore Their Creative Sparks

This whole journey taught me something simple but powerful:

If you have an idea—especially one meant for your child—don’t ignore it.

You don’t have to be a designer, a coder, or a professional author. You just have to care. You just have to start.

I had no plans to build a children’s book brand. I didn’t set out to launch a publishing imprint. I just wanted to make something for my son that was honest, funny, and full of heart.

Now I’ve got a book he loves, a game he helped inspire, and a growing world of characters that reflect who we are as a family.

Even if Roarwood never makes a dime, it’s already been worth every second.

So if you’re a parent with a silly sketch, a poem, a doodle, or an idea gathering dust—bring it to life.
Do it for your kid.
Do it for yourself.
You never know what that small spark might become.

---

Come Explore Roarwood

Curious to see how it all turned out?

Drop your email in the form below:

• Free printable coloring pages
• Character bios and sneak peeks
• Updates on books, products, and giveaways

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or fellow dreamer, I hope the world of Roarwood brings a smile to your face—and maybe even a spark of your own.

See you in the jungle!