Local authors and vendors gathered December 8-12 at Provident Charter School West to promote literacy education and spread some holiday cheer. Students and families of Provident Charter School West rallied together on a frigid evening to shop and browse a collection of books provided by Scholastic Book Fair. The books provided students with various valuable lessons, ranging from animals and geology to childhood and adolescence.

Author of “Milo the Mime”, Chas Chasler, was featured alongside fellow author Chris Whitlatch, aiming to further educate local communities and youth on the importance of celebrating one’s differences and quirks.

Chasler, hailing from Whitehall, PA, began working with Incubator Productions in early 2024. The 35-year-old author wanted to create a book “for himself” while simultaneously making a children’s book where kids could see themselves reflected in the character and story.

“Milo the Mime” is the first independent project by Chasler. He was drawn to independent work because he didn’t have to play by someone else’s rules and could create his own narrative. “When you work independently, you don't have, like, executives breathing down your neck saying, you can't do this, you can't tell that, you must say this, you must say that. And it gives people, like, their own creative talents to tell their own story,” said Chasler.

Producing his book independently, Chasler saw the opportunity to take risks and have more say-so within his own work. “I think that's what most creators strive for is taking a risk on their stories, of what will work and what won't work. And hopefully, if it does work, they still do it, and if it doesn't work, they'll learn from it and try to avoid for next time,” he said.

The central character of the book, Milo, was tucked away in the back of Chasler’s mind before he was brought to life. “I remember this drawing I made years ago of a mime. 
And I decided, what if I make a story based on this character? And so I thought up some, like, plot elements, some, like, story beats and story ideas, and thought a book could work,” said Chasler.

The “simpleness” of the character brought Chasler back to the idea.

Throughout the book, Milo the Mime gestures invisible or imagined objects, much like a real mime. For example, Milo may use an invisible umbrella to shield himself from rain or climb an imagined ladder to the top of a building. “Aside from it being funny… the book shows people how miming works, like how they gesture, how they pantomime, how they play around with what's not really there. Now granted it wouldn't really work in reality… you can't gesture a ladder and then climb up for real. But it'll give kids and readers the basic idea of what miming is, like the art of miming and the performing arts,” said Chasler.

Beyond the bright colors and humorous dialogue, Chasler hopes audiences find a new appreciation for different types of communication and learn to love what makes them unique. “I hope audience learns how the creative arts work, how one's quirks can be beneficial and helpful, and how people have different ways of communicating. There are some people who can't speak, and they can only gesture through hands or body language. In my work they gesture through facial expressions and body language for the audience to basically get the story of what they are saying.”

Principal of Provident Charter School West, Matt Tumulty, also joined students and families during the festivities. The fair provided many opportunities for students to explore new, interesting avenues, but the main focus was to “promote kids to read, to be excited about books and find things that interest them. …This is an opportunity for them. I find when you’re reading something that you enjoy… you kind of dive into it and that’s what we want to build, that love of reading,” said Tumulty.

Considering the locality of the event, educators and organizers hope this plants a seed of inspiration and curiosity within the next generation. “I’m all about supporting the roots and where people grow up… because then you show kids whore from around here that ‘I can be that’ or ‘I can do that too,’” said Tumulty.

You can learn more about Milo the Mime at www.milothmime.com and Chas Chasler at chasillustrations.com.

Milo the Mime is still available for preorder on Kickstarter here.

Stay Tooned for the official launch of Milo the Mime at the Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month Book Fair, March 1st, 2026 at Rodef Shalom.