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Christopher Whitelaw Pine, known to the world as Chris Pine, has ventured into the world of children’s literature. The actor and director, widely recognized for his roles in Star Trek and other films, recently released his first children’s book titled When Digz the Dog Met Zurl the Squirrel: A Short Tale About a Short Tail.
In an interview with People magazine, Pine shared his thoughts on the joy of writing for children. He explained, “A lot of the impetus for writing, the joy of writing, was thinking about parents reading it because I remember when I was a kid and fell in love with a book, I’d have my father read it over and over again.” Although Pine isn’t a parent himself, he revealed that he’s spoken to many parents who are “sick and tired of reading book X for the umpteenth time.”
He wanted to create something so enjoyable to read that it would become a favorite. “I thought, ‘Well, it would be great to write something that hopefully feels so delicious in the mouth and is so fun to say … that they would want to come back and explore over and over again,’” he added.
Pine gave a brief overview of his book, which centers around Digz the Dog and Zurl the Squirrel. He remarked, “The story of it is really quite simple, but I think it doesn’t mean that it’s any less important to state the importance of compassion and to see past judging a book by its cover, so to speak.”
]He emphasized the significance of addressing bullying in his story, explaining that the book explores the idea that bullies are often misunderstood. Pine reflected, “Everybody’s experienced a bully or being a bully themselves, and really understanding where it comes from and thinking, ‘Well, perhaps a bully isn’t just an a—— because they’re born that way, but maybe something happened to them growing up that made them so vulnerable that they had to become mean and cold and angry in order to deal with it.’ told by CNN.
The 44-year-old actor also credited classic literature as a major inspiration for his foray into writing. He wanted the book to have a “timeless feel” and the lyrical quality of works like those by Dr. Seuss. Pine’s venture into writing brings him back to his childhood love for storytelling, a passion that has now culminated in his literary debut.
Pine, an Emmy-nominated actor, first rose to fame with his performances in The Princess Diaries (2004) and Just My Luck (2006). His most recent project was the 2023 animated film Wish, where he voiced the character Magnifico. Now, with his debut children’s book, Pine is adding an author to his list of creative achievements.
