Vassie and the Mightiest Thing

By Eric July

A rhyming picture book about losing someone you love--and discovering that the people around you are the mightiest thing of all. From Rippaverse founder Eric July, starring Vassie, the niece of the hero Isom.

Vassie's daddy is gone. The house feels too quiet, the day feels too long, and the questions feel too big. But one by one, the people who love her show up--Mom, Uncle Avery, Grandma, the neighbors, the family she didn't know she had. Each one carries a piece of what's missing. Each one shows her something the world tried to take.

Told in playful, gentle rhyme, Vassie and the Mightiest Thing is a picture book about grief that isn't somber--it's full of warmth, color, and the quiet strength of family showing up. A rare and needed entry in the children's market on the subject of parent loss--written for ages 5-8 and built for reading aloud, together. The series continues with Vassie Sees Everything (10/13/26), and Vassie's world connects to the wider Rippaverse her uncle Isom calls home.

From Rippaverse founder Eric July, creator-writer of the Vassie picture-book series, with illustrations by Matteo Lucchetti (Italy) and colors by Felipe Felix. Launch title for the Rippaverse Backyard imprint.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 197108459X
• ISBN13: 9781971084596
• Release Date: October 2026
• Publisher: Rippaverse Backyard
• Length: 32 Pages
• Age Range: 5 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3