Marie Schmidt

From an early age, Marie Schmidt, author and illustrator of Eddy’s Day Out: An Exploratory Tale at the Detroit Institute of Arts, has had a passion for the arts.

“I loved drawing as a child,” she said. “My parents enrolled me in art classes when I was young. That helped foster my love of art. I loved reading as well. My mom used to read the Laura Ingalls (Wilder) series to me. Charlotte’s Web was one of my favorite books.”

Schmidt, who is also a preschool teacher, first visited the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) in early elementary school on a class field trip. She was immediately enamored by the museum.

“I remember being on the front steps of the DIA and I was just in awe of it,” she said. “The architecture on the outside was so impressive to me. As I got older, my mom and dad would take me there. It was always one of my favorite places to go.”

Schmidt, now a teacher in Birmingham Public Schools, went on to pursue an education in early childhood development with a minor in art.

“I ultimately graduated from Eastern Michigan University,” she said. “It was a perfect path for my career because it relates to exactly what I’m doing now.”

Schmidt was struck by the idea for Eddy’s Day Out after talking to her mother, whose dog, Eddy, ran away one day. He was returned by a school bus driver after he ended up on her bus.

“Eddy is a real dog,” she said. “The book turned into my interpretation of what could’ve happened to Eddy.”

Writing Eddy’s Day Out was a daunting process that took Schmidt 10 years to complete.

“I had to learn the process of writing, and also illustrating, a book,” she said. “I have three kids of my own and I’m a full-time preschool teacher, so I wrote in my spare time. I have a little area where I like to sit and draw. It was quite the process because I was doing it all on my own.”

Schmidt, a teacher at Midvale Birmingham Early Childhood Center, had her own students in mind while writing her book.

“I wanted to introduce them to the museum and make it accessible to them,” she said. “I wanted to inspire them to create their own art.”

Schmidt has been teaching at Midvale for 15 years and has always enjoyed working with children.

“I used to babysit as a teenager. Now I teach four-year-olds,” she said. “I love children and I love fostering their love of learning. I like relating to them. They make me happy.”

In addition to teaching, Schmidt hopes to continue writing children’s books.

“This could be a book series,” she said. “Eddy could wander off into different places in Detroit.”

Eddy’s Day Off is currently available on Amazon.

“It’s also available at the DIA Gift Shop, the Michigan Train Station and other independent book shops,” Schmidt said.

As a mother and a longtime Bloomfield Hills resident, Schmidt is especially grateful for the Birmingham school district. 

“The schools are amazing,” she said. “The Birmingham schools are where my children grew up. It’s been a great experience. Bloomfield is such a great location, too. The whole area is great. We love to frequent downtown Birmingham and we go to church at St. James Episcopal Church.”

Story: Katey Meisner

Photo: Laurie Tennent