Published book marks new peak for brothers

C. Robert “Bob” Logue can barely draw a stick figure.

His older brother, Michael, however, is a gifted artist.

So, as a child, Bob Logue would take his brother’s drawings, sell them to neighbors and pay his brother a small commission.

Decades later, the brothers teamed up again on the book, “From the Top of the Mountains.”

Bob Logue, a part-time Longboat Key resident who also lives in Chicago and owns a consulting company, wrote the book, and Michael Logue, a San Francisco architect, illustrated it.

The book tells the story of the Boulder, who lives high on “his” mountain, convinced he doesn’t need help from anyone.

Bob Logue, 44, wrote the story more than a decade-and-a-half ago.

“In my mid-20s, I was pretty certain I was really smart and had all the answers to things,” he said. “I was actually traveling to my cousin’s wedding in New Hampshire and had just returned from it, and I had this concept for all the words … I realized that we needed to be OK with not having all the answers.”

The writing flowed, but he was initially hesitant to show it anyone. He thought it was too personal — even dorky.

Finally, he showed it to his boss at the time, Ken Blanchard, bestselling author of “The One Minute Manager,” who encouraged him to get it published.

Bob Logue sent the manuscript without illustrations and came close to getting a deal with a publisher multiple times but, ultimately, faced difficulties as a first-time author.

Several years ago, he asked his brother to create illustrations for the book.

“Just seeing what he was able to create as far as enabling the reader to see what was in the story was really magical,” Bob Logue said.

The brothers finally got a deal with Eifrig Publishing, which released the book Aug. 31.

The Logue brothers have deep Longboat Key roots. Their parents, Charles and Ina Logue, are full-time Key residents, and their grandfather lived on the Key in the 1950s and 1960s.

Coincidentally, Penelope Eifrig, who owns Eifrig Publishing, also has ties to the island. Her grandmother, Kit Fernald, is a former Longboat Key mayor.

Bob Logue thinks the book is one that adults can read to children, while also learning the lessons of the story.

More than 15 years have passed since Bob Logue wrote the story, but, to him, the wait has been worthwhile.

“I thought the message needs to be out to more than just friends and family,” he said.