Who are you today? A local children’s book provides a gamut of answers.

Beautiful things can be born out of friendship. If the friends are artists who spend a lot of time together—like visual artist Jeff Sax and writer Mike Rutkowski at the P.G. Meetinghouse in Pacific Grove—sometimes the result is a fun artifact.

Together, the friends put together a children’s story with Rutkowski’s text and Sax’s illustrations. The title is Today I Am, and the colorful message is simple enough—each page offers another possibility to take on the world in someone else's shoes, from a lizard to a mermaid. 

“The conception occurred at the P.G. Meetinghouse and with a little help from our friend, John Lennon,” Rutkowski says. “One song in particular, 'Because,' carried us both on nature’s journey to find the very essence of life: love.” 

The story asks to open the doors of imagination while presenting nature’s gifts to create joy, encouraging day dreaming as a tree, or a puppy, or a kitten. It also assures the young reader that all these forms of life come with their pluses (and minuses), and that it's OK to be a brown horse with strong legs or a big golden-eyed frog.

The P.G. Meetinghouse provided the perfect environment for months of sketches, story lines and caricatures that became the backbone to the story, the artists shared. They have been conducting readings at various local establishments and getting positive feedback from grandparents, parents and children.

All proceeds from the sale of this book are being donated to the Peace of Mind Dog Rescue located in Pacific Grove. “Both Jeff and I have aged dogs and we love the work that Peace of Mind does for our community,” Rutkowski says on behalf of the duo. 

To buy Today I Am by Mike Rutkowski and Jeff Sax, and accompanying merchandise, visit saxgallery.com/today-i-am.