A legendary literary figure recently came to life at the Orion Township Library.
‘Buck Wilder? creator Tim Smith spoke with his young fans at the library on July 21, when he revealed to them that, although Buck Wilder is not a real person, the inspiration for the character came from himself.
‘I made up Buck Wilder,? he said. ‘I’m a regular man, I’m nobody special…I take the trash out like everyone else.?
Tim Smith has penned three books in the ‘Buck Wilder Adventures? series, which introduce young readers to the wonders of the great outdoors. Smith said when he was a boy, one of his favorite things to do was to go fishing.
‘I wasn’t the smartest kid in class,? he said. ‘I was always kind of in the middle…I always wanted to go fishing. The best part of going fishing is getting out of these buildings. It doesn’t even matter if you catch fish, because you’re outside.?
Smith, who lives in the Traverse City area and is married with three children, told the kids he didn’t become a writer because he thought he was something special.
‘Everybody makes mistakes in life…that’s why pencils have erasers,? he said. ‘When you learn that at a young age, you’ll try new things. That’s why I became an author.?
Smith said his love of fishing gave him the idea for his first Buck Wilder book: ‘Buck Wilder’s Small Fry Fishing Guide.?
‘The smartest thing I ever did as an author was not to put my name or face on the cover,? he said. ‘I made up Buck Wilder instead…he’s totally imaginary.?
The image for Wilder was created one day while Smith was at the Stained Glass Cabin, the business he runs.
‘I came in from fishing, and the guys who worked there took some plywood and I stood there while they drew around me,? Smith said. ‘My silhouette on the board became Buck Wilder.?
For his book, Smith took the common game fish and gave them each their own page, detailing their habitats, choice of food, and other information. He told the kids he wasn’t afraid to try something different, as he gave the fish big grins, pearly white teeth, and even eyelashes.
‘I wanted my fish to look happy when they got caught,? he said. ‘I had little characters all over, and one of them was a hidden worm named Fuzzy the Worm. I hid that worm so good, I won a national award for it.?
When Smith was invited to receive the Ben Franklin Award for Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year in Chicago, he asked the presenter why he had won.
‘I was there to receive an award for my second book, ‘Buck Wilder’s Small Twig Hiking and Camping Guide,?? he said. ‘It included Fuzzy.
‘When he handed me the award, the presenter said ‘I’ll tell you the truth, you got it because of that character Fuzzy the Worm. The review board had fun trying to find it,?? Smith said.
Smith wrote the third Buck Wilder book, ‘Little Skipper Boating Guide? two years ago, and said that was probably the best one he’s done. Fuzzy is included on the cover, and a new character named Mr. Fingers is hidden on the book’s pages.
‘I have fun as an author, I have fun creating stuff,? he said, adding that his fishing guide became the number one book in Michigan, and former Governor John Engler and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources wanted Buck Wilder to become an official emblem for Michigan.
‘Now every fourth grader gets a Buck Wilder history book,? Smith said. ‘I also have a new TV show coming out, called Buck Wilder Adventures, which will replace Mr. Rogers on PBS.?
The half-hour show will be seen across the country, with plans for international distribution, and will focus on the idea that ‘adventure can be anywhere.?
‘The TV people liked Fuzzy the Worm, so we’re going to hide him on the TV program,? Smith said.
Smith advised the young, would-be authors in his audience not to get discouraged if people laughed at their work.
‘I sent my first book to 12 publishing companies…they laughed at me,? he said. ‘They were polite…they said ‘Mr. Smith, have you ever written a book before???
Smith said one of the things the publishers weren’t sure about was his writing outside and around the pages of his books.
‘Kids like to twist and turn,? he added. ‘Pages don’t have to be all the same structure all the time.?
Smith wrote his first book nine years ago when he was 50 years old.
‘Don’t be afraid to use the eraser and have someone laugh at you,? he advised. ‘Don’t listen to them, you do it the way you want to.?