The Friendly Maine Lobstermen by Melissa Jones-Bayley and Illustrated by Rosalie and Gavin Bayley

What is The Friendly Maine Lobstermen about?

One fine day, a lobster boat captain sets out aboard the Kieran Scott with his sternmen (his assistants, who happen to be a deer and a turtle) to haul their traps. Along the way, they encounter a lost cat and assist it in getting home to its island. Then, when they can’t find their buoys, they discover that a giant sea turtle is harvesting their catch for its family. Through negotiation and cooperation, a solution is found to benefit all before the crew heads home to safe harbor in Stonington, Maine.

What inspired the author to write this book?

Author Melissa Jones-Bayley –
“This book was inspired by the birth of my nephew—it was actually his first birthday gift. I had always wanted to write a children’s book, and this first version was just printed and bound at a UPS store."

What was the design process of the book?

Author Melissa Jones-Bayley –

“The process of the illustrations was so fun! We would sit at the dining room table and read sections of the book out loud, then together decide where we would like illustrations to be matched with the story. Once we had that figured out, we would all sketch our idea for each page, and together vote on which design we liked best to represent. 

We wanted the book to have an “old days of the industry” feel, right down to the main room in the house with the cracked plaster wall and mouse hole. My dad's metal lunchbox on the floor that he used to take lobstering and I eventually took on the boat, too. My mom's stool—cracked, of course—represents years of her picking crabmeat at our home in Stonington in my early years.

These touches taken on by Rosalie and Gavin’s artistic abilities really made them special and come to life again.

Gavin was given the task of sketching each chosen scene for the book. He was allowed to go with whatever he felt would represent joy, hard work, and resilience in his creative process. When we decided to add a substory of the mouse, he really created something special. The mouse does things Gavin would do—if he were a mouse! 

Rosie then took each piece to her bright, happy painting table and put her vividly emotional colors and techniques into the strong sturdy lines from her brother’s work. 

The end result is a beautiful collaboration of strength and emotion through storm clouds and waves. As their mother, I'm just so proud of them.”

How would you describe life in Deer Isle?

Stonington, Maine, is a true working town—some would call it a village—and its fishermen are responsible for making it the largest lobster port in Maine. We have two towns on the island of Deer Isle, consolidated schools, hardworking residents and hardworking town officials, especially in these days of climate change and being an island affected by the ocean rising. Melissa is all about community and helping one another. She says it’s so important to show the caring side of the lobster industry, of which we’re all very proud here, and the story sheds light on the kind acts that are part of everyday life in this close-knit community.