Hi! My name is Justin Whitmel Earley and I am so excited you are here! You might know me from some of my other books on the spirituality of habit (like Habits of the Household or The Common Rule), but I wrote The Big Mess because, as a dad of four boys, I know firsthand how chaotic—and beautiful—family life can be. I wanted to write a story that would help kids and parents share in the joy of bonding over messes, since that's what so much of family life is.

This adventure-filled picture book is full of humor, larger-than-life desserts, sibling chaos, and yes... a big mess. It’s a heartwarming story about two brothers who have to figure out how to get along, even when everything feels like it's falling apart.

You’ll follow big brother Mouse as he tries (desperately) to bake the perfect dessert, only to be interrupted again and again by his energetic and clumsy little brother, Moose. No matter what Mouse does, disaster seems to strike whenever Moose is around. But in the end, Mouse learns something really important—life is better when it’s shared, mess and all.

I hope this story makes your family laugh, think, and maybe even spark a conversation about how God’s grace shows up most in the middle. The book is purposely written without anything explicitly spiritual because I wanted to help kids and parents draw meaning from ordinary, everyday situations—but I’ve included an author’s note at the end to help you start conversations with your kids about grace and reconciliation in the family.

I would LOVE it if you would pre-order and help spread the word. If you do, you’ll get some really cool free resources Lauren and I created together—but probably the most fun will be a live Zoom webinar with us, where we talk about the mess of family life, how to help your kids reconcile, how to help them love to read, and much more. Hope you’ll join us!

Now… Order away!!!