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Elizabeth Arkward Newton, the youngest of eight children; she was born in Lyndhurst, Virginia and raised in the valley of the Afton Mountains. Her primary and secondary education was in the public school systems of Albemarle and Nelson Counties. High school education was provided by the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament at Saint Francis De Sales (Castle on the James River) in Powhatan, Virginia. Saint Francis De Sales was an all girls’ prep-high school founded by Saint Katharine Drexel in 1891 for disadvantaged African American and Indian girls. The school was designed to promote dignity, self-respect and a high degree of Christian education.

This is a story about a little boy who found consolation in sucking his thumb. Jamal sucked his thumb when he was nervous or scared. He sucked his thumb when he was happy or sad. He even sucked his thumb when he was mad. That is until he came up against Mr. Pepper. Mr. Pepper had magical fire power that only he could control. One day he set fire to Jamal’s thumb and would not put out the flame until Jamal promised never to suck his thumb again.

““Jamal the Little Thumb Sucker and Mr. Pepper” – Thumb Suckers Beware!

In a small town named St. Mark, a young boy named Jamal has a bad habit of sucking his thumb. They kept warning him that one day, he might get caught by Mr. Pepper. He is more like the town’s big brother and a crossing guard for St. Mark’s Elementary School for quite a while. Mr. Pepper is well-known among younger and older kids and kept reminding them to stay warm and avoid sucking their thumbs. Strangely enough, Jamal or Mal (as his friends and classmates call him) has this certain uncontrollable urge to suck his thumb when Mr. Pepper is around but the older kids grab hold of both of his hands to prevent Mal from doing thumb sucks to his mouth, trying the best he can but can not do it. Otherwise, Mr. Pepper will transform into a ball of fire with hilarious outcomes and consequences.

The presentation, elements, and illustrations are very relatable to young-aged audiences and can hone their reading skills at the same time. The hand-drawn art was all created by Patrick L. Newton. The story is compelling enough as well as a delightful read. The characters here are a bit strange yet entertaining, just enough to unleash every child’s imagination. It is a very easy-to-understand storybook with a non-convoluted narrative. The story progression is subtle which is good. The moral lessons here in the story are compelling, worth noting and can also create positive moral reinforcement. It allows every child to reflect and learn. Bad habits do die eventually, but you need to instill discipline to make it happen, and this book delivers that.”