St. Charles native pens 'Chocolate Story'

Once upon a time there was a father who liked to take his three children for walks in the woods.

He would take along some chocolate candy for a snack.

They enjoyed their time, hiking and talking and listening to Dad spinning a chocolate-themed fable.

In 2006, the father became very ill. He couldn't work for a long time; but it gave him time to think about his life so far.

"The idea of doing something new came to me," said Rick Moser, a graphic designer and business writer who lives in St. Charles.

Inspired by his family's jaunts, he decided to write a children's book.

And that's how "The Chocolate Story" was born.

It's a fable about making good choices. The two main characters, siblings Nick and Emily, stumble upon an all-chocolate house while playing in the woods. It challenges their ability to decide right from wrong, and at first they choose what many of us would - to start snacking away. Of course, there are dire consequences. But then the wise "Chocolate Man" arrives to save them.

Moser will read the book to children at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, at the place he wrote most of it, Graham's 318 dessert-and-coffee shop in Geneva.

The cafe, at 318 S. Third St., was a cozy spot for Moser to write the story, with its comfortable couches, a roaring fireplace on chilly days, and a convenient supply of hot chocolate to drink. He figured he would be inspired by writing it in a business known for its love of chocolate (it's owned by the people behind Graham's Fine Chocolates, a candy and ice cream shop a few doors to the north.)

Moser's employees at Wide Spark Media in Elgin designed the book, and it is illustrated by Rex Bohn of Geneva. The pictures resemble wood cut illustrations you see in old books of fairy tales and fables. The next edition of the book will be printed in brown ink, in keeping with the "chocolaty" theme.

Moser also wanted the book to do some good. So he searched for something chocolate-related to give some of the proceeds.

He picked the International Cocoa Initiative. The international group, based out of Switzerland, helps exploited child and forced laborers on cocoa-bean farms in West Africa, where 75 percent of the world's cocoa beans are grown. The money from his sales is earmarked for construction of a school in Ghana. The ICI says that in many cases, working children miss the chance to get an education, which could improve their ability to get other jobs.

"They are stuck in a cycle of poverty because they can't read warning labels on the chemicals they spray, or on how to use a machete (safely). So they get hurt," Moser said.

The book is being sold at both Graham's locations; Chocolate for Your Body, 1743 S. Halsted St., Chicago; and online through www.chocolatestory.net.