Illustrator Phil Smouse came up with the idea for The Wisdom of Solomon Lapp (Barbour Books) while walking his dog in Lancaster County. But, he says, “I felt we needed someone who really knew the Amish intimately to do the book properly.”
Enter Wanda E. Brunstetter. “I’d seen Wanda’s name here and there, but never realized we worked with the same publisher.” With Smouse illustrating, Brunstetter wrote the stories, chronicling the misadventures of the title character and teaching children lessons about Proverbs against the backdrop of Amish culture in Lancaster County. “One thing I love about the Amish is that their outward lives reflect their inward decision to follow Christ and live out their convictions,” Smouse says. “That’s a valuable lesson for any believer.”