New Brunswick comedian James Mullinger and his 12-year-old son River are sharing the mic on a standup stage, while empowering children as co-authors of a new book. They’ve even made their family dog Willow the story’s hero. “Willow Finds Her Wag!,” published by Pottersfield Press and illustrated by Doug Graham, is based on the family’s dog who became a Mullinger about four years ago. “She was very shy when she came here, but she started to get more energetic and make new friends,” says River, who noticed Willow’s growing confidence with other dogs at the local park. “She probably thought it was scary, considering she was in a completely new environment.” River felt it was a story others could relate to, and took the idea to his father, the author of 2022’s bestselling memoir “Brit Happens: Or The Canadian Dream”. “He was able to give me a lot of key points and ideas for writing, the name of the book, and how to really shape the book,” says River. James Mullinger says his first children’s book couldn’t feature a better main character than the family’s real-life dog. “She never tires of giving us good material,” he says, adding how the book’s universal theme of wanting to belong was something he could relate to when moving to Canada more than a decade ago. “I thought maybe we could make a book about a cute little dog trying to make new friends in a new place, and being welcomed, just as we were into this community.” Along with releasing a new book, River has stepped out of his comfort zone to follow in his older brother Hunter’s footsteps by opening for standup shows headlined by his father. “I’m always nervous at the start,” says River. “But once I get out there and hear the first laugh, usually I calm down quite a bit.” His father says River’s set – a roast of his upcoming set – often earns more laughs than his own. “It’s an amazing thing to be standing in the wings, seeing 800 people laughing at jokes about the thing I’m about to do,” says James. “I couldn’t be more proud, it’s just the most amazing feeling.” River, whose ultimate career goal is to become a lawyer, is also an avid kayaker with eyes on the 2029 Canada Games. He’s also working on plans to release more books starring Willow in the new year. James Mullinger has several tour dates across the country to end the year, including Maritime performances on Nov. 6 in Fox River, N.S., Nov. 7 in Chester, N.S., Dec. 15 in Hampton, N.B., and Dec. 17 in Saint John. Mullinger will also release his third book “Attention Please! How I Made Friends with My ADHD Brain” next April. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
