FOR(T) THE KIDS: Local Writer’s New Book Explores a Love for Forts
"Forts" by Katie Venit will be released in 2025
As most children – and former children – will attest, building a fort is one of life’s greatest joys. Whether made of pillows, sheets, or cardboard boxes, a fort offers a special place of refuge, excitement, and imagination. Local writer Katie Venit is eager to enter back into that world, working on her picture book Forts.
Venit has meandered around the various forms of writing, from creative nonfiction, essays, and flash fiction, to now, with a picture book. After a while of writing material for adults, Venit said she realized she wanted to switch it up and write for kids instead.
“With kids, you can just explore joy, explore coziness, explore sadness, and you don’t have to complicate those emotions,” Venit said. “You can just feel them.”
Forts will be aimed at three to seven-year-olds, and softly tackles those ideas of joy and imagination that a fort can hold – parents and kids looking for inspiration: look no further. Venit wants to help us all rediscover the simple wonder of forts. The book will be illustrated by Kenard Pak, a San Francisco resident known for children's illustrations and animations.
“It doesn’t matter how many things are going on outside, or how loud it is,” she said. “You can go into a fort and it all just goes away.” Forts is planned for publication in 2025.
