MADISON

It was a story some may have missed as the impacts of the COVID pandemic gripped the country, but the improbable journey of an accidental tourist inspired a Madison father and daughter to write a book about a very lost but very inspiring owl. Rocki and Her Famous Tree reimagines the true story of an owl and her travels.

The tale started in preparation for the 2020 holiday season, as the traditional Rockefeller Center holiday tree was chosen, a 75-foot Norway spruce from upstate Oneonta, New York. What no one knew at the time was that the tree also came with a stowaway, an adult female saw-whet owl, which wasn’t discovered until she had made the 170-mile ride to New York City.

That tale, during the depths of the pandemic, inspired Ryan Duques and his daughter, Analise, to collaborate on a children’s book based on the incredible tale. Specifically, because it was in contrast to the constant news regarding the pandemic lockdowns, and Rocki’s story was an account of resiliency and hope, said Analise Duques.

According to Ryan Duques, focusing on something other than the steady stream of COVID despair was a unique chance for a father and daughter to bond.

“Working alongside my daughter to create a book has been a gift and a memory I will always cherish,” said Duques. “During a time that we were all glued to the news, this story stood out. It was an account of resiliency and hope. Because it came during the holiday season in 2020, it was really powerful. Analise was 12 when we started this project and now she is 15, and there was all of this change in the world and also a change in who she is as a human being. So, it is an amazing process that I am very fortunate to have been able to share with my daughter.”

According to both father and daughter, though the story mirrors Rocki’s experience, they infused their own creativity into the story and added a few characters, including the main character, Charlie, who is based on Analise’s real-life cousin of the same name.

Analise Duques, who is a sophomore at Daniel Hand High School, said the experience was very special for her because she grew from a child to a young adult during the three-year process of publication, and the experience had a number of life lessons and practical skill development for her. The project had to negotiate not just the pandemic but also the war in Ukraine, which necessitated the illustrator, Varya Shambrook, to flee Ukraine and immigrate to the States right in the middle of the final phases of the book, delaying publication.

“The pandemic was a scary time, but doing this project allowed us to focus on something positive, a story that had a happy ending,” said Analise. “I couldn’t do the activities or spend as much time with my friends during the early part of COVID, but it did give my dad and me time that we wouldn’t have had to brainstorm,” said Analise, “It really brought us closer together. My dad has really great ideas, and it was such a great experience to collaborate on this book.”

Both Duques praised the local support they received during their project and are excited about the official launch of the book at an event at RJ Julia Bookstore on Sunday, Nov. 5.

“We have been thrilled by the support of the Madison community, which has included sessions early on with famous children’s book author and Madison resident Katie Davis, as well as the book release event at RJ Julia,” said Ryan Duques.

The happy real-life ending climaxed when the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center in Saugerties, New York, nursed Rocki back to health. According to their website, the owl spent only a few days at the facility before being released on the organization’s property.

Experts at the center decided a return trip to Oneonta was potentially too traumatic to the bird, and saw-whets are migratory birds, so Rocki was released on facility grounds in late November of 2020. That happy ending was a crucial aspect of the story that the duo wanted to capture in their tale.

“I really learned how if you put work into something, that even if it takes a couple years, in the end, it can create a great product. This experience has really taught me to put your energy into something and taking it step by step,” said Analise.

The Story of Rocki and Her Famous Tree: The (Mostly) True Story of One Owl’s Unexpected Trip to Rockefeller Plaza, with illustration by Varya Shambrook, will be available at RJ Julia and online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. There will be a book signing and reading along with a Q&A session with the authors at RJ Julia Bookstore on Nov. 5 at 3 p.m.

Ryan Duques is the co-founder and former co-publisher of Shore Publishing.