Family of Late Author, Claire Costello, Share Her Book Across Denver

Across the Denver Metro Area, a children’s book by the late Claire Costello is quietly making its way into the hands of young readers. Costello, a longtime Colorado resident who died unexpectedly in June, left behind “Who Stole Carl’s Carrot?!,” her first and only published book, and her family has made it their mission to share it widely.

​“I think as part of the grieving process, you’re just so desperate in a way to make sure this person lives on, and this one was a small lever we could pull,” said her sister, Sarah Burrows. “Let’s move these books into good hands.”

As readers open the book, they are met with a dedication to Costello’s seven-year-old daughter: “Thanks for reminding me to march to the beat of my own drum.” For her family, that line has taken on new weight in the months since her passing, a reminder of the joyful independence she hoped to instill in her daughter. 

“Who Stole Carl’s Carrot?!” follows Liam, a young boy on a charming winter quest to crack the case of who stole Carl the snowman’s carrot. A playful mystery on the surface, the book reflects the values Costello believed children naturally carried, including curiosity, kindness and an instinctive sense of fairness.

“She just really loved the mountains, the people, the access to the outdoors and being able to start fresh,” Burrows said. “The inspiration for the book was that she really wanted to try to address different values children hold.”

Working in a corporate role for most of her adulthood, Costello was eager to figure out her creative side. “She always wanted to kind of figure out what her creative path was,” said Burrows. “What I think she was almost drawn to more than writing was children.”

“She was in such awe of the kids because of how beautiful their souls are and how untainted they are, unaffected,” Burrows continued. “I think she just really admired kids and thought we should all model more after them and see how they orient themselves in the world and try to model that.”  

​When COVID hit, her company had a huge round of layoffs, and Costello opted in to take the severance package so she could have six months off to pursue the book. 

“She went to coffee shops in the morning and really polished it, doing her research on the different publishing paths, different selling platforms,” Burrows said. ​With her love for children, she found ways in her community to spread her creativity while also giving back. “She really liked the aspect of reading the book to the kids and partnering with the schools,” Burrows said. 

After her passing, the family discovered more than 150 books still in Amazon fulfillment. Unsure where to begin but determined to honor her generosity, they looked for a way to ensure the stories reached the children who would have meant the most to Costello. Burrows took on the responsibility by donating the books to multiple organizations in the Denver area.

“The kids that need it most are getting a little bit of her love, and it’s definitely what she would have wanted, I think,” Burrows said. “I’ve been in contact with BookGive mainly, the Boys and Girls Club of Denver and we are still looking into more.” 

That search for the right home for the books led Burrows to BookGive Denver, a nonprofit organization that provides free, new and near-new books to individuals and organizations throughout the Denver Metro Area. Children in under-resourced schools, hospitals and food banks would be just some of the recipients of Costello’s work.

Burrows connected with Kristi Wimbish, BookGive’s executive director, after they met during Costello’s memorial. They worked together on the donation, and the remaining books made their way into children’s hands.

​“Having those books be able to be distributed to schools is really an important part of what we do,” Wimbish said. “So where they went is secondary to just the fact that the family thought of us and considered us over the distributor of Claire’s book to share her message out.”  

In an email message shared with BookGive supporters, Wimbish described the donation as a powerful act of remembrance. 

“Because of the generosity of Claire’s family, BookGive was chosen as the recipient of many of Claire’s books, which her friends and family are purchasing through Amazon and are being sent to BookGive,” Wimbish wrote. “This extraordinary gesture of honoring Claire’s memory by providing books, which will in turn be shared with kids all over Metro Denver, is a powerful message on the gift of giving. We are so grateful to Claire’s family and are truly honored to share her books with our partner organizations.” 

The book will also be available in the BookGives free book room, where people in the community can come and take the book home with them. This free and fun option helps build around the community’s needs and builds strong connections with the members. 

The book wasn’t just created to be a guide to children; each purchase also contributed directly to a community partner. For every book bought, a bag of carrots was sent to The Urban Farm, which provides opportunities for urban youth to engage with local food and agricultural systems by removing barriers such as land access, time, location and finances.

​“She was really big on nutrition,” Burrows said. “So that was something she wanted to figure out how to add to her work.”

​Even though this was the only work Costello was able to publish before her passing, this wasn’t the only story she had envisioned. “She had this idea of ‘The Boy with the Big Heart,’ about a little boy who was carrying a giant heart on his back that almost felt too big,” Burrows said.  “Almost felt like a burden.”

Costello always made sure to carry a big heart with her throughout life and lived by the motto, “To really just go for it because life is too short,” Burrows said. In many ways, that spirit is what continues to guide the book’s journey now. 

As donations circulate through classrooms, school libraries and community organizations, “Who Stole Carl’s Carrot” is finding a second life thanks to her loved ones, who are determined to keep her memory alive. For families looking to support that legacy directly, the book remains available on Amazon in paperback for $8, offering another way for Costello’s story to reach young readers this holiday season.

“There is definitely more that will unfold, but I’m unsure yet,” Burrows said. “At some point in the future, I hope I can dedicate more time to do more in her honor for sure, because that’s another way you survive something like this.”

For now, each donated copy, each child who opens the book, and each home it finds its way into becomes part of that ongoing tribute to the big-hearted life Costello lived. 

“She was always about empowering others, encouraging people to take risks, follow their heart and try new things every day,” Burrows said. “She always used to say my daughter and children have so much to teach me while I create this book.”