Pelican’s Snoballs played host to a book signing this week for Plant City local and author Stephanie Shuff, whose second children’s book, “Lessons From the Beach: 8 Faith-building Stories for Kids” hit the virtual Amazon bookshelf on March 25.
“I’m so grateful that the owners of Pelican’s opened up their place for me, it was sweet of them to be my cheerleader,” said Shuff.
The children’s book follows Shuff and her family as they travel around Florida’s coast, learning valuable lessons about faith and family along the way. The book features colorful graphic designs and characters modeled after her now-adult children Cole and Holly.
Shuff, a retired teacher, found her inspiration for the book from the many beach vacations her family enjoyed throughout the state. On one trip, she recalled walking along the water’s edge, picking up seashells along the way. When she saw that they were broken or imperfect, she’d toss them back on the sand. As she turned to see her then-toddler son, she noticed he was mimicking her actions. While she watched him, her thoughts turned to spiritual things. “I thought is that how we treat people,” she said. “I told him to go ahead and keep the broken shells.”
She still has jars filled with the broken shells as a reminder that we’re all broken in some way but it’s during those times that He does His best work in our lives.
The book is filled with this story and many others, from building sandcastles in St. Augustine to capturing lobsters in the Florida Keys, each imparting a faith-based principle, an illustrated crab hidden on each page for readers to find, a map of Florida and fun facts about each beach town (provided by the local chambers of commerce).
“This is a children’s devotional book, a story book and an informational book all in one,” said Shuff.
At the book signing, when customers bought the book they also received a seashell and a magnifying glass to help them look for the hidden crabs on each page. “The magnifying glass was also to remind them to look for the good in things in life and magnify God in all we do,” she said.
Her first book, “The Right Road,” a story about Hunter, her oldest son, was published in 2021.
Both books feature lessons learned wearing what Shuff describes as “God Goggles,” which help her see every day living with a godly perspective. “When we try to see life through His eyes I believe we’re going to get along better and see things better than we can with our own eyes,” she said.
Follow Shuff at soakinguptheson.com and on YouTube and Facebook at “Soaking up The Son Stephanie Shuff.”