Stephanie Glamack is bringing her late brother's award-winning illustrated fantasy novel back to readers in 2026, viewing the book as both a personal legacy and a timely message for families seeking stories of hope and moral courage. The 411-page Christian fantasy 'Littluns and the Book of Darkness' was created by Disney-trained animator and author Mark Glamack before his passing, and his sister now oversees its distribution to ensure its themes reach those who need them.
'This isn't just a book to me,' said Stephanie Glamack. 'It's my brother's life on paper, and it carries a message families need right now: the light still wins, but you have to choose it.' The novel follows a community of gentle 'littluns' who leave their mountain home for a scavenger hunt and become entangled in a conflict that tests their world and their hearts. The story explores identity under pressure, innocence challenged by the unknown, and faith strengthened through hardship as characters confront a wicked Necromancer intent on overtaking the world.
The book has earned significant recognition, including Mom's Choice Awards® Gold in both Fiction and Fantasy, Myths, Legends categories, along with recognition from The Dove Foundation and an honorable mention at Book Expo in New York. Stephanie Glamack emphasizes that this recognition matters because it shows the story connects with readers, but her primary focus remains on helping the message reach its intended audience. 'My job now is to make sure it reaches the people it was meant to reach,' she said. 'Mark believed this story could help someone find light in their own darkness. I won't let it disappear.'
After her brother's passing, Stephanie faced practical challenges including rights management, inventory maintenance, and logistical learning curves. Describing herself as a 'country girl without deep pockets,' she committed to protecting the quality and care behind the original edition despite easier alternatives. 'Mark cared about quality,' she explained. 'This is how I keep his light alive.' The novel is told in present tense from a third-person omniscient perspective and includes 63 color illustrations printed on high-quality stock in the U.S., creating what Mark Glamack described as a 'motion-picture experience you can only read.'
As 2026 begins, Stephanie Glamack invites readers into a story that mirrors contemporary feelings of uncertainty, emphasizing moral courage, steady conviction, and faith that endures through complexity. The book contains lines that reflect its core message, such as: 'If you surround yourself with good and righteous people, they can only raise you up. If you surround yourself with the others, they will drag you down into the doldrums of mediocrity, and they will keep you there, but only as long as you permit it.' The deluxe hardcover edition is available for $29.95 directly through the family at https://www.littlunsandthebookofdarkness.com to preserve the legacy as Mark intended.
