Bolingbrook Resident Authors Children's Book Celebrating Diversity

As a child, Denise Allegretti longed to be an artist of sorts.

“My biggest dream was to create something like (Walt) Disney did,” said the resident.

She taught herself how to draw and considered a career in interior design. She also dabbled in writing.

These days, Allegretti is seeing her childhood dream come to fruition with the publishing of her children’s book, “Wilbur the Elephasaurus’ Great Adventure.”

The mother of seven children and grandmother of six, Allegretti created the character of Wilbur to help children who struggle with being different. Her own son was bullied and teased, and as a result he no longer wanted to attend school.

Allegretti said the book celebrates diversity and acceptance.

“When I came up with the character Wilbur, I wanted him to see he is different and it’s OK,” she said. “Love yourself and respect yourself for who you are and in return you can love and respect other people for who they are.”

Allegretti said the book has lended itself to her own self-actualization.

“My sister died about six years ago and at her wake my cousin and I were talking and he said, ‘Denise, are you sure you’re not Wilbur?’ And I thought about it for a long time and thought, ‘I am Wilbur,’” Allegretti said. “In a way, I thought I wrote the book for my son but in reality I was going through trying to be accepted too, not just with my peers but with my family.”

The 46-page paperback “Wilbur the Elephasaurus’ Great Adventure” was published by RoseDog Books. For more information or to request a review copy, visit the online bookstore www.rosedog.com/pressroom. The book is also available at amazon.com.