Sycamore Services Creative Program Yields First-time Author

First-time author Ryan Saab with some of the characters from his storybook.

Jenny is many things, a camel, a friend, a helping hand, and the main character in Ryan Raab’s first ever book. 

Raab is a client at Sycamore Services - a local non-profit organization geared toward supporting individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. 

In efforts to enhance creativity among clients, Sycamore recently introduced the Creative Abundance Group, a program focused on strengthening creativity through art. 

As part of the program, clients created a number of pieces including three large paper mache sculptures made out of recycled (Republican) newspapers. 

These three structures ultimately inspired Raab to write their stories in a book. Thus Forest of New Beginnings was created. 

In this tale readers follow Jenny the camel on an adventure through the forest where she meets many new friends such as Oliver the eagle, Sss-Sasha the snake, and Randall the squirrel. 

Throughout her journey, Jenny helps her new friends in whatever way she can. 

“I wanted to do something with service,” Raab explained. “I wanted to connect service and your talents for service and love.”

The author went on, “the story just came of the camel walking through the forest, because why wouldn’t camels have friends that live in the forest?”

While the idea might have just come about for Raab, that doesn’t mean the task was without its challenges. 

Aside from writing a book from start to finish in less than two months, what really got to the new author was how his work would be received.

“It’s like waiting for other people’s feedback. . .which kills me,” Raab said. 

Though in the end, quality seemed to be no problem for Ryan following a live reading of his book to the Danville Rotary Club. Members smiled and cheered praising the writer.

”It’s kind of a weight off my shoulders,” Raab beamed. 

While Forest of New Beginnings is not currently available for purchase Raab and staff at Sycamore Services are working to get the book published.