AN ILLUSTRATIVE WORLD. Erik Meyer, an Eau Claire area author, has released his latest novel, The Sublime Luminary of Um. The story combines illustrative visuals (pictured above) and narrative fantasy to share the story of Theodore and Grandma Betsy, who have found themselves transported to the land of Um. (Illustrations by Erik Meyer)

“Welcome to the unusual world of Um.” That's how Erik Meyer, an educator in the Chippewa Valley, introduced me to the setting of his new novel for young readers, The Sublime Luminary of Um.

Meyer's latest story was written for the very students who first inspired it at Robbins Elementary, whether they encounter it in a classroom or as a bedtime story; children deserve works that are “cozy as they are exciting,” he believes.

“There's a cosiness of going to sleep at night (when) someone's reading to you until you're tired and you fall asleep,” Meyer said. “(It’s) a real connection that people have with people they love and care about. But also, they get to have these cool stories.”

Rooted in these themes of coziness, nostalgia plays a key role in the world Meyer has built around his two leading protagonists, Theodore and Grandma Betsy, in the land of Um.

With the Wizard Of Oz, Chronicles of Narnia, and other fantastical science-fiction works to guide him in writing The Sublime Luminary of Um over the past year, his story represents what strengths and abilities are already within each of us.

It's just fun to be able to explore and have these funny little references — yet it’s not our world.

erik meyer

author and illustrator, the sublime luminary of um

The novel begins with a surprise blizzard that sends Theodore and Grandma Betsy swerving off the highway and into Um, a world where strange inhabitants govern the ideas of technology and magic.

The Sublime Luminary of Um, book cover.

Throughout the journey, the duo meets a talking mannequin, a mannerly robot, and a warm-hearted Bigfoot as they seek the Grand Luminary. Each of these characters are brought together through the intricate illustrations Meyer has created and interspersed throughout his enchanting storytelling.

Meyer said his experiences living in the Midwest and Wisconsin significantly influenced the novel, with elements like the weather and the role of his grandmothers woven through each chapter.

“It's just fun to be able to explore and have these funny little references — yet it’s not our world,” Meyer said. “I like when fantasy sort of melds with our world.”

Jake Donze, principal of Eau Claire's Robbins Elementary School, has consistently admired Meyer's humble approach.

From the very beginning of this story, Meyer offered students the chance to actively participate in shaping the possibilities of his newest projects.

Donze hopes educators and at-large faculty at the school will follow Meyer's example in openly expressing their creative passions and potentially sharing those with students.

Meyer not only conveys positive values through the book's message but also demonstrates them by personally providing each student with a free copy.

“Every person has some talent; something outside of school that they are really good at,” Donze said. “When you can let that flourish, that fills (my) bucket — and we know that then makes you a more joyful person and even better teacher.”

Meyer is already at work on Return to Um, the second novel in his ongoing series. Young readers — like Theodore and Grandma Betsy — will once again have the chance to visit the world of Um and all of its uncharted corners.

Just a few of the many characters readers will meet, as they explore the land of Um. (Illustrations by Erik Meyer)

The Sublime Luminary of Um can be purchased in person and online at the Local Store (205 N Dewey St., Eau Claire). For more information on Erik Meyer’s written works, visit indiegraze.com.