In the Omaha World Herald

“Mother-son creative team hope kids’ book is a monster hit” – By Mike Kelly

» Each Sunday for the past decade, Mardra Sikora and son Marcus have sat down to brainstorm ideas for stories.

Marcus, 25, has Down syndrome, and life surely doesn’t keep him down. Next month he will travel with his mother to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Atlanta and elsewhere promoting his Halloween-themed children’s book, “Black Day: The Monster Rock Band.”
The book is “by Marcus Sikora with Mardra Sikora,” and she says the tale is definitely his own — a monster band that is alive for only one day. The writing, revising and honing is cooperative, she said, and takes far more than one sitting, as did his one-act play that Omaha North High drama and special-ed students performed.

“Marcus has so many ideas, and he percolates them all week,” Mardra said. “Then on Sunday he rubs his hands together and says ‘It’s time!’ And he’s off.”

Marcus will be at his alma mater, Madonna School (Event!), 6402 N. 71st Plaza, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday. He and his mother will show an animated, 13-minute DVD version of his book, both versions illustrated by Noah Witchell.

Mardra, co-author of the upcoming “The Parent’s Guide to Down Syndrome: Advice, Information, Inspiration, and Support for Raising Your Child from Diagnosis through Adulthood,” was 19 when Marcus was born.

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