Porter the Hoarder and Rebecca Swift
vBy Brandi Bue
Rebecca Swift, who now
lives in Bridgewater, is a
makeup artist, social media
director for independent
films, performs in her band
Trabecca, and is a mom to
three, but she is also the
creator and illustrator for
a series of children’s books
called Porter the Hoarder.
She works with Sean Covel,
most notably the producer
of the movie Napoleon
Dynamite, to put these
fun “read-and-find” books
into small hands. Sean and
Rebecca have worked with
elementary schools across
the state of South Dakota
to put their first book,
Porter the Hoarder and the
Ransacked Room, in all the
schools. “Porter is a great
learning tool for children.” With Porter, you learn counting, finding,
how to sort, how to channel big emotions and that those emotions are
okay. “She’s such a unique character and is adored by everyone whose
path she crosses.”
Rebecca has been drawing since she was a kid. Her aunt Alice is
cited as a huge inspiration for Rebecca. “She taught me how to draw
faces, always had drawings, illustrations, and sculptures in her studio.
I was fascinated by it.” However, she also cites her love of Disney and
animated movies as a source of inspiration. And of course, Rebecca
finds inspiration in her children; Logan, Quinn, and Tommy. Rebecca
also remembers doodling
and drawing every day. She
also remembers coming up
with new characters all the
time.
Rebecca’s favorite book
while growing up was the
Little House on the Prairie
series. “I never thought
when I was a little girl living
in Tennessee and Ohio that
I would end up on the same
plains of South Dakota,
living in a little house in a
small town being involved
in the book world myself.
Some full circle stuff right
there!”
Porter the Hoarder
is a Look-and-Find and
counting book series that
follows a little girl with a
huge personality through
different tasks and places
- in her bedroom, through
nature, in a grotesque
grocery store, through a monster neighborhood - all in the hopes of
helping her tidy up while she sorts through a wide variety of some
questionable but also some really cool items. “Look-and-finds were
my personal favorite when I was a kid. I had a huge collection. I was
always more intrigued by pictures and illustrations and the color
schemes than the words.”
The character of Porter came to be once Rebecca was in her 20s
and after she had children. Porter the Hoarder began while Rebecca
was cleaning her daughter Logan’s room when Logan was a toddler.
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