HIGHLAND - A local woman has written her first children’s book in a series about a friendly Jeep.
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Bella Spark is a lifelong Madison County resident who recently discovered her love for off-roading in her Jeep. As she has been empowered by the experience, she decided to write a story for kids to teach them about confidence and community.
“A lot of people name their cars, which we always sort of have. But in the Jeep world, each Jeep has a name. And I just noticed that Sparky was becoming more of a character,” Spark recalled. “I was like, you know, I really think that this could be a character in a children’s book.”
Titled “Sparky Makes Friends,”the book follows the adventures of Sparky the Jeep as he meets Phoenix, a green Jeep. It mirrors the story of Spark and her friend Jenny, who she met at a women-forward off-roading event last year. The two women — and their Jeeps, Sparky and Phoenix — became fast friends.
This book is the first installment in a series of Bella Spark Books that center on Sparky. Her second book is currently being illustrated, with the goal of publishing it next month, and a Christmas Sparky book is slated to be released in December 2026.
All of the books are inspired by real adventures that Spark and Sparky have embarked on together as members of local Jeep club Midwest Jeepthing.
Spark never planned to be involved in the Jeep world. Initially, she bought the Jeep with her husband so he would have a vehicle with four-wheel drive to drive into work. But their first off-roading adventure proved to be a lot of fun, even though Spark was “scared to death.”
Soon, she was driving the Jeep herself and meeting new people. The experience was “super empowering” as she began to push herself out of her comfort zone.
“One of the best things I was told was that you need to trust yourself and you need to trust your Jeep and you need to trust your trail mates. That is one of the best pieces of advice that we were given,” she said. “We’re more capable than we think we are. The Jeep is more capable than I think it is.”
The experience with the Jeep has encouraged Spark in other ways. She has wanted to write a children’s book since high school, and Sparky proved to be the perfect inspiration. She recently skydived in Hawaii, despite being terrified. She is continuing to work on her memoir and share her story with the world.
These are lessons that Spark hopes to impart on her readers. She loves seeing kids on the off-roading adventures. She believes these kids are experiencing life without screens and learning about community. As Spark has learned to conquer her fears, she wants to encourage the kids to do the same.
“You’re going to be afraid, and that’s okay. It’s okay to be afraid, but you have to face the fear and not let the fear control you,” she explained. “Face your fears. Just do it. It doesn’t mean you can’t be cautious, but don’t let the fears stop you or control you.”
That’s the lesson of the book. Spark can’t wait to see where Sparky takes her next.
For more information about Bella Spark Books, visit her official website at BellaSparkBooks.com. To order your own copy of “Sparky Makes Friends,” click here.
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