Twins collaborate on book once again, 50 years after one passes away

The Varmits, the new book by Dave Lamb, co-illustrated by John Lamb

Growing up in Southern California in the 1950s and ‘60s, Dave Lamb was creative from a very young age. He also had a built-in best friend from birth, his identical twin, John.

Dave and John were similarly talented: they drew, painted, and created their own characters together. They even developed a distinct style of drawing. They collaborated on all their art projects, which continued with Dave’s books. Dave drew the characters and wrote the story, and John helped with the detailed backgrounds.

Dave aspired to be an author and he wrote about what he knew. Having three little brothers and a father who was former military likely made an impact on what he chose to write about: growing up and learning responsibility.

The result was three children’s books, each with a respective theme of kindness, caring for your toys, and listening to your mom.

Tragically, Dave passed away in a car accident in 1971 at 18 years-old. People cope with tragedy in many ways, and one of John’s was saving all Dave’s books and artwork, for decades.

Recently inspired by his grandson’s enthusiastic response to The Varmits, John decided it was time to finish The Varmits and share Dave’s story. The result was much more than he could have imagined.

The Varmits was released on Monday, December 2, 2024. Get your copy at Amazon.

Dave Lamb, 1970

John Lamb, 1970

John and grandson Elvis, 2024