My pal Trevor Romain (you may remember him from An Illustrated Life) is a huge-hearted and talented artist in Austin, Texas and I was so excited to get the following email from him:
Hi brother Danny –
I hope this e-mail finds you well and happy. My new book, ‘Random Kak‘, was just released in South Africa. I wanted to share this exciting news with you as one night in your flat in New York (many years ago), while pouring over your journals (and pouring vanilla vodka) you urged me to document growing up in South Africa as an illustrated memoir in my journal. Patti nagged me about it every time I spoke to her. Some time later, I finally posted some of my journal entries on various Facebook and blog pages and it went viral. Then I was approached by Penguin Books in South Africa to do a three-book series based on my little drawings and notes.
Your last blog post with Cynthia Morris was a wonderful validation and reminded me once more of how much you have inspired and supported me over the years. I am now using this illustrated memoir technique to help children in refugee camps in Africa and children who are terminally ill, share and express their feelings, and their story, even if it’s just in stick figure style. When I met Nelson Mandela a number of years ago he said, “When a person dies, their library of stories dies with them. So they must share their story so that it is not forgotten. Even the most simple story can teach and inspire other people.“
I can honestly say if it weren’t for you this book would still be an idea waiting to happen. Thank you again for unlocking the door and inspiring me to walk into my past where I gathered arm-fulls of great memories and turned them into my newest book.
Hope to see you soon,
Trev
Danny Gregory 
Love this! How wonderful to be encouraging our children to have storytelling souls. I would love to do the same. Congratulations to Trev and Danny for being such an inspiration.
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Dear Danny, congratulations to your friend Trevor (I went over to his blog, his stories and drawings are wonderful) and thank you for being such an inspiration in the lives of so many people. I’ve recently found your blog, love your work and most of all your humble attitude. Thank you for the EDM prompts and for inspiring me to draw again.
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Thanks for yet another introduction to yet another awesome artist friend of yours, his tremendous successes, his wonderful, delightful artistic style. Yes!! It’s all amazingly inspirational. Fifty books published … Lets see, I’d probably have to live to be 122 if I wrote/drew one a year starting this year … I better get busy!
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Super cool AND inspirational.
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Wow! What an awesome book, and an awesome tribute to you, Danny! I love Trev’s idea of having children tell their stories through art. As a speech therapist, I work with young children, and this would be a great language experience for them!
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Being Dutch, the ‘kak’ made me smile. It looks like an amazing book, wishing Trev all the best with this work and in his work with children.
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Wonderful and inspiring! Well done, Trevor!!
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Love it! It’s so cool to see how your experiences have influenced others. I’m so glad your work is an invitation to pick up the pen and capture the daily wonders of life.
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What an impact you both have on each other and your readers. Best wishes with your book. It looks amazing.
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