DPES Student Owen Crane Writes & Publishes First Book

His love for animals coupled with his dad’s leadership experience inspired Decker Prairie Elementary third grader Owen Crane to co-author his first children’s book, titled Leadership for Little Humans with his dad, Luke.

Owen has always enjoyed writing but it wasn’t until his dad wrote a leadership book that made him want to write one too. 

“I asked him if we could write one together,” Owen said. “So, we decided to combine our interests. He loves leadership, and I love animals. We both researched and learned more about our passions.”

From there in early 2023, Owen and his dad began writing, Leadership for Little Humans, a book that shows how animal traits can also be great leadership qualities.

The book was completed in about a month and a half. After the first draft, the father-son duo sorted out the bugs, and the last part was updating the pictures and facts, which took about two weeks. The book was illustrated by Pepper Sanchez. 

For Owen, writing a book was also about connecting with his dad. 

“The best part about the experience was spending time with my dad and expanding my knowledge on animals,” he said. “He taught me some tips and tricks. He also gave me hard feedback that was valuable. I feel like it pushed me beyond what I could do. I learned a lot from my dad and I became a better author. My first book was a great one because of him.”

Owen wanted his book to inspire kids to learn more about animals, show how to take care of them, and help kids love the animals more in the world. 

It was also about expressing his love for writing.

“I enjoy writing because it is a way to express who I am,” he said. “I have to be safe with writing just like technology - so I don’t share too much of myself.”

Leadership for Little Humans by Owen and Luke Crane and illustrated by Pepper Sanchez can be purchased on Amazon. 

And when asked if he plans to write another book, “Yes, I do,” Owen said. “I also want to thank Ms. McDowell, Ms. Wachel, and Ms. Carpenter who were my past teachers and Ms. Reilly, who is my current teacher. They all really helped me. The next book will probably take another month and a half to get the work done, but it’s worth it because I like spending time with my dad, and I like working hard to get it right.”

Source: Tomball ISD