Book1Issuuv2

"'

•

·

�

L, J

1

. .

,

Cojpyright © 2026 She·la Paxton 1

1

AU riights rese,rved .

No part ,of th·s book may be, reproduced,, stored in a retrieva .system, or tra smitt,ed in any fo1rm or by any means wi1 t1 hout p(or writt-en permis.sio,n from1 the publisher, except for brief quot-ations used in reviews.

ScootapotamusTM a1nd related characters a1re trademarks of Sheila Paxton..

·wr11tten by Sheila Paxton

.... ...-.

.- .. .-.. .

Printed in the United States ,of Ameri,ca

First Edition

Dedicated to my granddaughter Dez1 who, inspired me to create the character Scoot, apotamus.

Scooty went on adventures with Dezi

and came to Ufe in her Imagination

May your ima.gination always take you on a1mazing adventures, your hea, rt alw·ays lead with , indnes,s, and you1r dreams always take, flight.

Thank you, Dezi, for believing in Scooty and helping him coime to life , .

• With all my love, •

Nana

The early morning sun !ig t warms the African savanna.

1

-� ¥

-ff---

Golden grasses sway in the br1eeze.

-�¥,ft--

E,lephants drink coo_ water whi-e, giraffes watch by the Mara River.

---=-=--�¥�--="

Mala and Bantu walk home as the sun wakes up.

-�-•-�- --

Mala and Bantu are happy and content.

Today is a special day a new baby is arriving.

The zebra , s have come to help Mala and Bantu.

A warm thund1erstor,m wash1es over the savanna.

The baby arrives and the zebras, Mala and Bantu admire it oving(y;.

-

.. >> •-�<< ��·-

Mala and ·Bantu gaze at the baby's tiny ears, round belly and big smi e.

As they look even closer, they notice something specia.

Instead of hind feet, the baby has soft scooter wheels.

At first, they are surprised, then they smile.

"Our baby is perfect,"

whispers Mala.

"Exactly what the world needs," says Bantu.

We will call our little one Scootapotamus

scooter wheels on a hippo, says Mala.

"Let's call him Scooty," adds Bantu.

Scooty learns to scoot before learning to walk.

One day, Scooty ro ls into ,a muddy pudd e.

Mala and ,Ba1ntu laugh and help him clean up.

A few days later, Scooty rolls down a hill a little too fast.

,our friendly pink flamingos help slow Scooty down.

Everyone laughs.

Scooty watches monkeys jump and zebras graze.

Meerkats follow along curiously.

Scooty does not yet realize that be· ng different makes

him special.

..

Scooty enjoys his days playing and making new friends on the savannah.

One morning Bantu and Mala say, "We have an idea for a new adventure."

"We'll see the Great Migration crossing the Mara River," says Mala.

--e�-•---<3-e------

At the river, Scooty

sees zebras, elephants, giraffes and many other animals.

--e�---•------3-e-­

Scooty rolls fast to keep up with

his new friends.

At a, watering hole, Sc0oty, 1meets other 1

1

youn1g hi'ppos.

"Why do you have wheels?"

one aslks,.

Scooty s1uddenly notices bein1g different.

Scooty goes, back to Mala and Bantu.

"Why am I different?

No one else has wheels instead of back feet," Scooty says.

"Every creature is different," says Bantu.

"Giraffes are ta l and cheetahs are fast.''

"Elephants are strong and birds can fly," says Mala.

-t.· -------

--♦

"You were meant to roll.

The world would be very dull if everyone were

the same," says Bantu.

-----♦---"

Scooty thinks about what his parents J

have said.

As evening comes and the stars begin to shine in the sky, Scooty rolls home .,

beside Mala and Bantu.

"Maybe being different is the beginning of a wonderful adventure,'' thinks Scooty.

Scooty knows he is truly loved.

About the Author .>))

•• � ••

«<-

Sheila Paxton is an entrepreneur, author, artist,

and lifelong storyteller who believes that the

best adventures begin with imagination.

The idea for Scootapotamus was born many years ago

,;;Jr-·�-� A SPECIAL THANK YOU

To every child who has ever wondered if

.......

being different is okay:

when Sheila's granddaughter, Dezi, asked for a bedtime

story featuring a brand-new and very special character.

In that moment, Scooty-a little hippo with scooter wheels instead of hind feet-rolled into Sheila's imagination, and the stories began to flow.

Although Sheila spent much of her career building

businesses, leading organizations, and helping others

achieve their dreams, she always carried Scooty in her

heart. After retiring, she felt called to create something meaningful that would inspire children to celebrate their

uniqueness, embrace kindness, and discover the courage

to be themselves. Once again, Scooty appeared, ready to share adventures with the world.

Sheila lives on Maryland's beautiful Eastern Shore with

her husband and best friend, Orley. Together they enjoy family, creativity, and life's everyday adventures.

They are proud parents of their daughter, Julie,

and even prouder grandparents to Dezi, whose imagination helped bring Scootapotamus to life.

-») • Scooty says: •

«<-

Big Wheels.

Bigger Heart.

Biggest Adventures.

� ••

"

·---·