When Elizabeth Davenport sat down with an idea that seemed to appear out of nowhere, she never imagined it would become a children’s book connecting young readers to one of Ohio’s most treasured historic sites.
Her newest book, “Otis at the Grove,” follows a curious squirrel who accidentally travels back in time to 1851 at Spiegel Grove, home of President Rutherford B. Hayes. The story blends history, imagination and heart, introducing children to the people and places that shaped one of America’s presidents.
“It came to me in a flash,” Davenport said. “I was not thinking about writing a book about a time-traveling squirrel, but it came in such a rush, I wrote it in about six hours not including all of the time editing and tweaking.”
The inspiration struck while she was reminiscing about her years working at Hayes Presidential Library & Museums.
“I knew it was a story my 4- and 7-year-old would enjoy and hoped other children would too,” she said. “I found out after publishing that, completely unknown to me, HPLM had been looking for a children’s book on Hayes history. The whole thing felt rather divinely inspired.”
A squirrel with a real-life beginning
Although Otis may travel through time, the lovable squirrel has very real roots.
“Several of the ladies that worked at HPLM years ago, including myself, would walk the grounds occasionally on our lunch breaks,” Davenport recalled. “One day a chubby squirrel marched right up to the edge of the walking path and watched us as we walked by.”
The squirrel clearly hoped for snacks.
“I’m sure he was hoping for more snacks to fill his already plump tummy,” she laughed. “We all got a kick out of him, and he stuck with me all of these years and was most definitely the inspiration behind Otis.”
Inspired by Spiegel Grove
For Davenport, working at Hayes Presidential Library & Museums left an impression that never faded.
“Every step you take at Spiegel Grove is a step through history,” she said. “I felt so privileged during my time there to walk the halls of a museum that Webb Hayes worked so tirelessly on in memory of his father.”
She remembers exploring hidden corners of the historic home and even serving during the site’s Christmas dinners.
“Dressing up to serve at Christmas dinners felt magical. Working there was unlike any job I’ve ever had.”
Writing Otis at the Grove allowed her to reconnect with that experience.
“I have missed my connection with the site and the staff and am thrilled to get to reconnect through Otis and his story. What an honor to get to convey the story of the Hayes family to children.”
History first, adventure second
Although Otis is fictional, Davenport worked hard to ensure the historical setting remained authentic.
“The Hayes family history is uniquely well documented,” she explained. “There is so much recorded that it makes filling in with fiction a little difficult. It makes it a bit like a treasure hunt or a giant puzzle to complete.”
Historical accuracy mattered deeply to her.
“It is very important to me that it is as historically accurate as I can make it, with the exception of a time-traveling squirrel.”
Fortunately, she had two enthusiastic editors at home.
“I have a 4-year-old and a 7-year-old, so I have built-in editors,” she said. “Hearing their giggles the first time I read the story to them let me know I was on the right track.”
Looking beyond the president
One of Davenport’s goals was to highlight people who often receive less attention than President Hayes himself.
“It was pretty important to me that Otis did not meet the president first,” she said.
Instead, readers encounter Sardis Birchard, Hayes’ influential uncle.
“What about the people that shaped his life?” Davenport asked. “What about the people largely hidden in history that made him the man and president he was? There are so many stories about the Hayes family and friends that are just begging to be told.”
She added, “Learning about Sardis was important to me because he played such a large role in shaping the man we know as president, as well as financing his education and building the Hayes home.”
A message of courage
Beneath the adventure lies a deeply personal message.
“Otis and I have something in common,” Davenport said. “We both struggle with fear.”
One scene has become especially meaningful to her.
“Sardis sees his struggle and quotes his nephew, Ruddy (Rutherford), in saying, ‘Take counsel of hopes rather than fears.’ What wonderful advice to a frightened squirrel and to me.”
Her favorite exchange comes when Otis imagines everything that could go wrong.
“‘What if I get hurt?’ and ‘What if I get trampled?'”
Sardis responds with the question that Davenport hopes readers remember long after finishing the book.
“‘What if you have a grand adventure?'”
She hopes that message resonates with readers of every age. “I hope young and old alike can gain a morsel of courage from Otis and Sardis. History is made by the brave by those who do what they are called to do in spite of the fear. The brave don’t lack fear. The brave refuse to listen to its lies.”
A dream decades in the making
Although Otis at the Grove is one of Davenport’s newest books, becoming an author has been a lifelong dream.
“I have always loved reading and subsequently writing,” she said.
Her first story as a child featured “an odd little book about a duckling’s adventures after getting flushed down a toilet.”
“Thankfully, my writing style has grown,” she joked.
At 18, she first declared that she wanted to become a children’s author.
“A friend was sharing with me her artwork and a desire for it to become a children’s book, and it felt so inspiring,” she said. “That announcement… was initially scoffed at by others, and I shamefully set it aside.”
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For more than two decades, the dream remained dormant.
“But the stories were there, growing in me and waiting to be written. Perhaps they were just waiting for me to gain a little courage.”
Writing from real life
Before Otis came along, Davenport published books inspired by someone very close to her heart; her brother Freddie, who has Cornelia de Lange Syndrome.
“My first book is based on the real-life shenanigans of my brother, Freddie,” she said.
Family memories inspired Freddie and the Bear: Something’s Afoot, while another story grew from Freddie’s beloved old coat.
“While working on publishing my second book… Otis came to me in a fuzzy flurry, and I simultaneously completed both books and published them within a couple of weeks of each other.”
Choosing the independent path
Davenport chose to publish independently, valuing the freedom it gave her.
“The roads to traditional publishing are winding and often convoluted and typically expensive,” she said.
“Self-publishing kept the entire process in my control.”
While it required more work, she said it also allowed her to learn every aspect of the publishing process.
“I’ve had many calls from publishing companies over this past year, and I decided to self-publish the next two books as well.”
Her advice to aspiring writers is simple.
“It is utterly amazing to me the things you can do today,” she said. “Maybe you’re like me and your book has sat on your shelf for years because the whole process of publishing was completely daunting and mysterious. The doors are wide open in 2026. If you want to, you absolutely can.”
Deep Ohio roots
Davenport’s love of history extends beyond Spiegel Grove.
She is a lifelong Northwest Ohio resident.
“Born and raised,” she said. “In fact, I now live in the home that my great-grandfather built in 1902.”
“I am surrounded by my own family’s history, and I love it.”
She also has fond memories of Toledo, attending Toledo Christian Schools and visiting places like the 577 Foundation, the Toledo Zoo and the Toledo Museum of Art.
When asked why Ohio makes such a rich setting for stories, her answer came quickly.
“Eight presidents from our state, the birthplace of aviation and so much more,” she said. “The stories that exist to be told are unending and so worth remembering.”
More adventures ahead
Readers won’t have to say goodbye to Otis anytime soon.
“Oh, do I ever!” Davenport said when asked whether more adventures are planned.
“It’s easy in some ways because so much of the story has already been written through history. But weaving in a fictional, time-traveling squirrel without disrupting historical fact takes a lot of creativity.”
She even hinted at what’s coming next.
“I have it on good authority that his next adventure does indeed include pie.”
Beyond Otis, Davenport is already dreaming up additional stories, including one featuring a country mouse named Georgia Sophia Constance Mouse.
For now, though, she’s grateful that the dream she quietly carried for more than 20 years has finally become reality.
“After I published Otis at the Grove,” she said, “I felt like an author. This was real.”
