Zao’s Tales
“A story so real…it was.”
What would it be like to enter the world of our story books? This is a question many children have dreamed about, but have you ever considered what would happen if the characters in story books entered our world?
Author J. A. Sommer and Illustrator John Neiner bring to life the story of Zao’s Tales—no ordinary collection of fairy tales—and the adventure it brings Carey, Ella, and Lili when they unintentionally release an evil villain into the world.
J. A. Sommer
John was born in the state of Indiana, but quickly moved to Northern Michigan. There he spent a large portion of his childhood at a 120-acre Christian camp. In these wide spaces he spent his summer days, wandering the woods, swimming in the lake, catching frogs and snakes for fun, shooting at the archery range and pretending to be Robin Hood, riding dune carts as much as he was allowed, and playing with the new friends he made weekly.
As he grew his parents moved again and shortly thereafter he started his first “real” job as a strawberry picker. Since his first job (which only lasted one summer), he has held jobs in many other lines of work: being a grocery clerk, a sawmill worker, a landscaper, a waiter, and a cook in an industrial kitchen.
One year after college he and his wife, who was expecting their first child, moved halfway around the world to be missionaries in Ghana, West Africa. This has been his life’s calling ever since.
During his time in the tropical sun he has discovered and re-discovered many things. Guitar playing, reading great books, and learning how not to sweat in the 100+ degree weather are just a few of them, but one of greatest treasures he shares with his beautiful wife and four girls is the joy of telling story.
John D. Neiner
John D. Neiner has been drawing ever since he learned that a pencil wasn’t for chewing. After realizing that his dream to be a pirate on the high seas was an occupation most likely fraught with hazard, John decided to pursue his aspiration to become an artist. He began his intensive art training by copying of all the pictures from his Little Golden Books. Over time John began to have his own ideas and found that creating designs from his imagination brought him the greatest thrill.
Born into a ministry home with a father who is a pastor, John has enjoyed the unique perspective of life from within a fish bowl. Little did John realize this arrangement afforded him the greatest opportunity to develop the observation skills he would need in the future.
Endlessly fascinated and inspired by the mighty works of God in creation John is an avid mineral and fossil collector. Thanks to the good nature of his wife Erin, John’s mineral collection is on permanent display in their living room.
No stranger to wearing a lot of hats, John is also an assistant pastor of a small Baptist church in New England alongside his father the senior pastor. John and Erin spend their time cultivating with their three boys their own fish-bowl experience in the beautiful hills of New England.
