During the day, Craig Lindeman and Johanna Shoop develop award-winning marketing campaigns as members of the Wichita State University Division of Campus Life and University Relations.

But away from work, the two have joined forces on their first-ever children’s book, “The Big Black Dog and the Big Blue Sea,” released in July.

Written by Lindeman and illustrated by Shoop, the story chronicles the adventures of a big-city dog and her two best friends as they sail the seas on a voyage of discovery.

Lindeman is director of creative services in marketing communications at WSU. Shoop is a graphic designer for the department.

The book was inspired by the real-life adventures of Lindeman’s brother, Curt, sister-in-law, Cheryl, and their black Labrador retriever, Zeta. It was Zeta’s unexpected death that brought the book to reality.

“Zeta was such a huge part of all of our lives, but my brother and his wife were especially devastated by her passing, not only because they lost such a beautiful soul, but because their future children would never get a chance to know her,” said Lindeman. “I just wanted to do something that would ensure that their children would get to know Zeta and love her as we all did.”

In the story, the three friends find themselves sailing to a remote desert island where they enjoy a day playing on the beach, taking in the island’s sights and meeting its unusual inhabitants – all while providing lessons in counting, distance, size and color.

But Lindeman also hopes the book contains a deeper meaning for its readers.

“While it’s an educational story in the very traditional sense, I hope the real lesson contained within the book is that true friendship can take many shapes, and some of the strongest bonds one can ever experience never need to be expressed in words,” he said.

“The Big Black Dog and the Big Blue Sea” is available online at www.blackdogbluesea.com.