“Journey to GuineaPigVille” is a heartwarming story about Gillie’s search for a fantastical land he sees in a book. No one believes the fairytale town is real, but oh Gillie sure does. As he overcomes obstacles to find it, Gillie discovers that trash cans can fly, friends can become family and anything is possible when you find the courage to DREAM BIG.
It All Started with A Guinea Pig
The year was 2005. Carolyn had just purchased an 1800s animal farm from Gil and Millie Jones, an eldery couple looking to retire. She spent three years renovating the place to become ZOOMARS Petting Zoo, then WHAM, the recession hit.
Things were grim and the zoo was on the brink of foreclosure. Then one day, while juggling bills in her barn, Carolyn noticed a hopeful-looking guinea pig staring up at her. Something in his face said, “Dream big guinea pig.” She knew she couldn’t let her animals down, or the children who visited them, so she took his advice.
She named him Gillie, after Gil and Millie, and made him the zoo’s mascot. Carolyn would host storytime with Gillie and tell tales about their adventures. This led to a book, “The Tale of Gillie Guinea Pig,” two music albums and a life-size plush toy. Her friend even put Gillie on his race car!
Soon kids from everywhere were coming to see the now-famous guinea pig and attendance jumped from 300 visitors a week to 3,000!
After Gillie won a big industry award, Carolyn sold the zoo in 2020 and started writing a Gillie the Dream Big Guinea Pig book series and children’s show. Now she can share Gillie with the world.
Meet The Illustrator: Michele Dodds
Michele Dodds decided to become an artist when she was six years old. She went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree and became a commercial art director. After she and her husband adopted a baby girl, Michele decided to be a full-time mom and create artwork at home.
When her daughter was little, Michele would take her to Carolyn’s petting zoo to play with the guinea pigs while she studied the llamas for a book she was illustrating. When Michele showed the llama drawings to Carolyn, she loved the artist’s unique style so much she asked her to illustrate the Gillie book.
“I love seeing the joy Gillie brings to kids of all ages through his sweet stories and how he encourages everyone to follow their dreams,” says Dodds.
See more of Michele’s work here!