Youngster pens book about ‘Things in Nana’s Garden’

Jacoby “Jak” Fitch, 10, thinks his grandmother’s Deer Park garden is a magical place, and he’s hoping his book about it will transport him and his family to the Magic Kingdom.

Weekends find him playing in the dirt of her garden, examining ant hills, and popping juicy ripe strawberries into his mouth.

When he was 6, his Nana, Jacalyn Burns, decided to channel Jak’s love of nature into a summer project – a fully illustrated book, “Things in Nana’s Garden.”

“It was something to keep him busy during the summer,” she recalled. “We borrowed a microscope from the school district. He wanted to be a scientist when he was 6.”

They looked at worms burrowing in the soil. They watched the ants scurry about in a nearby ant hill. And Jak painstakingly printed his thoughts and observation, drawing colorful pictures to document garden life.

From dandelions, to pumpkins, to garden pests, each page captures a slice of nature.

“Radishes are very spicy. They burn my tongue a lot,” he wrote.

Another page shows a spindly tomato plant.

“Tomatoes taste really good. My favorite size is cherry. Tomato sauce is good on pizza.”

The summer project stretched into several summers, and when the book was finished Burns decided to have it printed and published through the Book Patch, an online company.

That’s when Jak had an idea.

“I want to sell it to raise money to go to Disneyland,” he said.

And he wants to take his entire family, 10 people in all, with him.

Why Disneyland?

“I’ve seen some really good commercials about it on TV,” Jak said.

On a recent afternoon, he chatted about the writing process.

“The worst part was buying all the erasers,” he confided.

Jak will be in the fourth grade at Audubon Elementary this fall. You might assume that English is the young author’s favorite subject. You’d be wrong.

“I like recess,” he said. “And lunch because I’m always hungry!”

He no longer aspires to be a scientist, nowadays he’s into animals, especially horses.

Pointing to a horse grazing nearby, he said, “I want to be a vet.”

When he’s not helping in the garden, he builds obstacle courses.

“I like jumping over stuff,” he said.

Jumping is featured on the final page of “Things in Nana’s Garden.”

“Grasshoppers like to jump. Some look like a piece of wood. Nana doesn’t like them!”

Indeed, one of Jak’s regular garden duties is slaying the pesky insects.

“They eat everything,” he explained. “When I see them, I rocket toward them and squish them.”

Currently, the book is available online, but Burns sells her produce at the farmer’s market in Clayton, Washington, and is going to take some copies with her. She’s also thinking about including the Fairwood Farmer’s Market in north Spokane.

“I’m trying to teach him that if you set a goal and work towards it, you can get the things you want,” Burns said. “I’m really proud of him. He’s an awesome kid.”

Funds for Disneyland are still a ways off, but Jak does have a short-term financial goal.

“I lost my wallet last week. Now, I’m saving money for a wallet with a chain, so I don’t lose it again.”

While he doesn’t foresee writing more books, “Things in Nana’s Garden,” does figure into a new project.

“The next thing is making a movie based on the book,” he said.