How a wiggly English Bulldog inspired a children's book series

Some of the best stories begin not at a desk, but on a couch with a snoring bulldog draped across your lap and absolutely no intention of writing a book.

That's more or less how How Gims Found His Family came to be.

Gims, short for Gimli, is an English Bulldog who belongs to my oldest son. From the moment he arrived, he had a personality too big for one household. He is silly. He is dramatic. He is deeply, unshakably convinced that every snack in the room belongs to him. And somehow, despite all of his wiggly chaos, he wriggled his way into becoming the heart of our whole family's world.

As his dog grandma, I had a front-row seat to all of it.

I watched him figure out where he fit. I watched him navigate a home that already had its own rhythms, a regal grey cat named Cookie (Luna) who very much considered herself queen of the house, and Casper (Benny), a white mutt with a rule-follower's heart who always seemed to know how to keep Gims out of trouble. Three completely different animals. One unlikely family.

And I thought: kids need to see this.

Not the perfectly assembled family. Not the story where everyone looks the same and fits together neatly. The one where belonging takes a little time, where the new kid is a little too much and not quite enough, until suddenly, he's exactly right.

The journey from "I should write this down" to a published book was its own adventure. Working with an editor and a project manager, watching Gims' story take shape on the page, seeing the characters come to life in illustration, it was humbling and thrilling in equal measure. We chose to tell the story in Gims' own voice. First person. Because that's who he is, someone who has a lot to say and isn't shy about saying it.

How Gims Found His Family launches on April 19, 2026, Gims' third birthday. Because of course it does.

This is the first book in the Gims & Friends series, and there are more stories to tell. More friends to meet. More belonging to find. We can't wait to share them with your family.

Follow along at @gimsbooks on Instagram and Gims & Friends on Facebook.