HISTORY OF THE TEXAS TOAD
A New hero is born
Standing in line for a flight out of St. Louis, Missouri, Lawrence S. Rominger envisioned a bedtime story that might help his sons learn to love reading. He scribbled down the first few verses and worked on it the rest of the trip.
When he returned to Missouri, he discussed the idea with his imaginative and artistic co-worker. “Give me a couple of lines and I’ll sketch something up!” Jim Wright said.
In 20 minutes, Jim was back at Lawrence’s desk with sketches of our hero Texas Toad and his nemesis, Fred Fly. The two laughed so hard it hurt. Funny ideas just kept coming as the story unfolded. Jim spit out character scenes faster than Tex could zap a fly!
“It’s ironic that this story originated while we lived in Missouri…it seems that Jim and I were destined to move to Texas!” L.S. Rominger
But just like great wines, folks would have to wait for The Texas Toad to finish fermenting. Jim and Lawrence managed to reunite in Houston, Texas a few years later. They nearly completed the story, but destiny had other plans and Fred Fly’s trail went cold.
20 years after Texas Toad’s story was first conceived, Lawrence was determined to finally finish the showdown between the noble Tex and that nasty Fred Fly. The story was too darn funny to be forgotten and remained a family fable in the Rominger household. We needed closure to this epic tale!
Enlisting the help of family friend Dane Hildreth to finish the final scenes, the Texas Toad was finally able to exact his revenge and bring the feckless fly to justice!
About The Author
Lawrence is a native of North Carolina and a graduate of Wake Forest and North Carolina State Universities. The youngest of six in historic Winston-Salem, Lawrence was raised mostly by his brothers, sisters and an amazing neighborhood – all sources of many mischevous and delightful adventures.
He always loved building things and wanted to become an inventor and adventurer. His career in product development and manufacturing helped fulfill this childhood passion. He traveled the world and helped make many of the products that we use today.
Lawrence now lives in the Texas Gulf Coast area. He enjoys spending time at the bay with his wife Susan and helping sons Austin and Holden with Castaway Radio, an original rock band in the south Texas area. He remains active in his profession, writing, sports and volunteer activities in the Pearland, Texas area.
The Texas Toad was written for his boys as an alternative to the overly simplistic bedtime reading standards. It provides a mutually delightful bedtime story: something lyrically interesting for the parent with hilarious artwork for the kids. Concluding with some lyrically seeking challenges, The Texas Toad is a great source for shared and independent learning.
