All right Michiganders, put on your mitten-shaped thinking caps ? it’s time for a pop quiz.
What’s the state wildflower?
What’s the state fossil?
What’s the state soil?
What’s the state reptile?
Don’t know? Well, maybe you should pick up a copy of the new children’s book ‘Connor the Carver Carves Michigan’s Symbols.?
Written by Brandon Township resident Gary Elzerman ? you know … the guy on Baldwin who does the chainsaw carvings ? the book follows the adventures of Connor, a chainsaw carver, and his faithful dog Riley as they travel around Michigan carving the state’s 11 official symbols while learning their origins and other interesting facts.
‘Doing the book was sort of fun for me because a lot of people didn’t think I could do it,? said the owner of Custom Carvings by Gary Elzerman (1674 S. Baldwin Road). ‘I’m very proud of it.?
The book’s main character is supposed to be Elzerman’s son Connor, a third-grader at Clear Lake Elementary in Oxford, except he’s all grown up.
Connor wants to be a chainsawcarver just like his dad, who’s carved more than 6,000 pieces of art and is a four-time Michigan state carving champion. Connor appears in the book as a young man because Elzerman said, ‘He can’t be nine years old and running a chainsaw.?
The book’s illustrator Mark Herrick used a photo of Connor to draw what he might look like in his early 20s.
‘Everybody laughs and says it’s Gary with hair,? Elzerman said.
It was little Connor who inspired Elzerman to write the educational book, which retails for $19.95.
‘He started learning about Michigan (in school) and asked me if I’d ever carved any Michigan state symbols,? Elzerman said. ‘The only ones I knew were the Petoskey Stone and the Robin.?
‘We went to the Oxford library to find books on Michigan symbols,? he explained. ‘To my disbelief, there weren’t any children’s books that had all the symbols in it.?
The only book they found was ‘very incomplete … poorly done? and ‘it wasn’t very educational.?
So Elzerman decided to write his own and actually carve all the state symbols.
The result was a ‘cool, hip, fun book? that’s a ‘good educational tool for everybody.?
‘Even adults who have read the book are shocked they didn’t know a lot of the information that’s in there,? Elzerman said.
For most people, writing a book is no small feat, but for Elzerman it’s particularly impressive and inspiring.
Diagnosed as dyslexic in the fourth-grade, the learning disability still affects him as an adult, be it ‘skipping over words? while reading or reversing his numbers.
‘It doesn’t go away,? he said.
Given his dyslexia, Elzerman decribed writing the book as an ‘almost tortuous? undertaking, but the result is now ‘one of my proudest achievements.?
‘I’m touching kids hearts,? he said. ‘That’s very rewarding for me.?
Elzerman hopes the book will inspire kids with learning disabilities and other average or below average students.
‘The book’s great, but really it’s the message behind the book.?
‘Unfortunately, schools today are so worried about government testing, they forget about the kids who will never be book-smart, no matter how hard they try,? he said. ‘They sort of get pushed to the wayside.?
‘There are a lot of kids who are frustrated. They can’t get their point across because we don’t allow them to.?
Between being bullied, getting kicked out of classes and schools and barely graduating from Lake Orion High School in 1985, Elzerman knows all too well what it’s like to be a marginalized student.
‘You can go through life having people think you’re stupid and have all this wonderful talent. You just have to find a way to bring it out,? he explained.
Elzerman wants kids to realize that ‘with hard work, you can achieve anything, make as much money as you want, do whatever you want.?
He wants children to know they ‘don’t have to be like Johnny who’s getting all A’s.? They ‘can be a C or D student and still go out and do something in life.?
Elzerman’s living proof.
‘I’ve always been a dreamer. I take my dreams and I make them reality,? he said. ‘I’ve done a lot of things that I wasn’t any good at, but I’ve never been afraid to try.?
Prior to taking up chainsaw carving nine years ago, Elzerman has worked in construction, sold men’s suits, worked as an executive chef, owned a gourmet food and wine shop in Caterbury Village and competed in ice carving competitions.
‘I’ve tried a little bit of everything.?
One of his proudest moments occurred during a recent author presentation he made at Pine Tree Elementary in Lake Orion, his former school. A student with extreme learning disabilities came up to him said, ‘I want to be a carver like you and I want to write a book.?
To help kids with learning disabilities, Elzerman noted that ‘Connor the Carver? contains special features such as key words highlighted in bold red letters to aid comprehension.
Instead of the traditional stark white, each page of ‘Connor the Carver? is colored with shades of soft green, which are ‘easy on the eyes.?
Colorful illustrations and graphics make the book fun to read.
‘I wanted to make sure (the book) was different because I’m different. I’ve always been different and being different is OK,? Elzerman said. ‘I really want this book to teach kids.?
The book was published by the Auburn Hills-based company EDCO Publishing, Inc. Founded in 1998 by Edna Stephens, a retired Lake Orion teacher, the company’s mission is to ‘create and produce multi-sensory, integrated educational materials, which reflect the current research in brain-based learning and best teaching practices, that are fun to teach and fun to learn.?
Plans are already in the works to do another ‘Connor the Carver? book.
‘It’s pretty clear to me and to my publisher this isn’t going to be the only book,? said Elzerman, noting they’ve ‘kicked around? having Connor do the other 49 states? symbols or using Connor as a Michigan character covering other topics.
Despite his new-found career as an author, Elzerman made it clear he has no intention of quitting the carving business. ‘A lot of people have the misconception I’m going to stop carving. Carving’s my first passion. I’ll always sculpt.?
For more information about ‘Connor the Carvers Carves Michigan’s Symbols? log on to www.edcopublishing.com.
By the way, the answers to the pop quiz are Dwarf Lake Iris, Mastadon, Kalkaska Sand and Painted Turtle.