The Varmits
Written for Kids, By a Teenager
In 1970, a seventeen year-old high schooler wrote and illustrated The Varmits, which was just one of his three children's books.
In many ways Dave Lamb was a typical teenager: he was active, funny, loved the family cat and being around his friends.
Dave was very talented, and he also had a super power...
The Varmits Story
Dave Lamb
Dave was creative from a very young age. He also had a built-in best friend from birth, his identical twin John.
Dave and John were similarly talented: they drew, painted, and created their own characters together. They even developed a distinct style of drawing. Dave's strength was drawing the characters and writing the story, and John collaborated on the detailed backgrounds.
In the end, it could be said that their brotherly bond and being identical twins was their super power.
Three books by 18
By age 18, Dave had written and partially illustrated three children's books, each on a topic to help kids make better choices. Tragically, Dave passed away in a car accident in 1971. John lovingly saved the books and all Dave's work.
About Dave Lamb
John Lamb
John and Dave graduated high school in 1970. As soon as they were old enough to drive, they were off to new places.
On the Road
Growing up in Southern California, they had a love for exploring desert ghost towns and surf spots from California to Baja.
Teamwork
When it came to drawing and creating art work, John and Dave collaborated to get twice the work done in the same time as one person. It was this familial partnership that helped them create so much in Dave's relatively short life.
Dave aspired to be an author, and he wrote about what he knew: growing up and learning responsibility. Having a father who was former military and three little brothers running around, these likely made an impact on what he chose to write about.
The result was three creative children's books, each with a respective theme of kindness, caring for your toys, and listening to your mom.
As a young teenager, Dave empathized with kids in a way that was beyond his age. Today, we might call it emotional maturity. Back then, Dave was just a great kid.
Eventually, there were five Lamb boys, and two tired parents.
Left to Right:
John, John Sr, Beryl and Dave
About The Varmits
gift to a grandson
John's first grandchild was born in 2020, carrying a family name of Elvis. Elvis quickly found a best friend in his Pop Pop.
When Elvis was three, John quietly put a xeroxed copy of The Varmits on Elvis' bookshelf. A few weeks later, John's son called... "Dad, Elvis discovered The Varmits on his bookshelf and it's all he wants to read!"
It was then that John knew it was time to finish his brother's book. "I finished about a dozen pages and printed a test copy. Elvis loved it! He noticed a ladybug on a sidewalk of one page and said 'Pop Pop, you should put a lady bug on every page".
When he saw a page with a few Legos scattered about, he said "Pop Pop, you need more Legos on the floor".
Finishing The Varmits was more than John expected. "It was everything I could’ve imagined, and more than I could’ve hoped for. Not only did I get to collaborate with Dave one more time but I got the thrill of my grandson's input, helping me bring it to its best version."
"In Dave’s words, I think he would be STOKED… and I am thrilled!" said John.
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