Former Boulder resident and Montana author Bernadette Botz has recently published an illustrated children’s book that prominently features the historic Jefferson County Courthouse. Botz’s “The Family Marching Band,” illustrated by Slovenian artist Andreja Karba, is a simple 12-page children’s story that she says is inspired by images of her childhood in Boulder.
“My father was the county attorney for many years,” said Botz in an interview with The Monitor. “I have so many memories of that building, and I went to school just across the street there (Boulder Elementary). I had eight siblings, and we’d all find ourselves spending more time in the courthouse than ever we intended. But we were always welcome; the secretary would give us a dime for the coca-cola machine and we’d sit around and wait for him.” Botz’s father, Allen LeMieux, served as the Jefferson County and Boulder City attorney.
Botz, whose first children’s book became available for purchase on Amazon Dec. 10, also owns and operates Granberry Books, a self-described Christian publishing company that seeks to supplement home-school curriculums with age-appropriate, biblically-informed fiction. “The Family Marching Band” is a brief, rhyming introduction to musical instruments and a beautifully illustrated example of young children’s literature.
