A picture book from Richmond, California

Lil ManWho Can

A boy learns to bake a 7up cake with his mom. His dad shows him what an entrepreneur is. By the end of the book he has turned a talent for baking into a dessert business.

Written by d'Artagnan J. Connor III  ·  Illustrated by Mattea Muzzy

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Cover of Lil Man Who Can: a smiling boy in a chef hat holding a whisk dripping with batter, beside a glazed bundt cake.
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The Book

The preface, in the author's own words.

From the preface

Welcome to Lil Man Who Can, a story that celebrates the spirit of entrepreneurship and the power of believing in oneself. Through the journey of a young boy who discovers his passion for baking and entrepreneurship, this book aims to inspire young minds to dream big and pursue their aspirations.

In this story, you will meet a little boy who, with his parents' loving guidance, learns that with determination and hard work, he can turn his passion into a successful business venture. As he explores the world of baking and entrepreneurship, he discovers the joy of creating something unique and the satisfaction of seeing his dreams become a reality.

I wrote this book to instill in young readers the belief that they can achieve their goals and make a difference in the world. Through the character's journey, I intend to convey that no dream is too big and no idea is too small regarding entrepreneurship.

I encourage you to join the little boy on his adventure and discover the endless possibilities that await when you dare to dream and believe in yourself.

d'Artagnan J. Connor III

There is a glossary in the back, so a young reader who meets the word entrepreneurship for the first time can look it up on their own.

Signed by the authorOrdered through the TikTok Shop. Every copy is signed by hand before it ships. Paperback on AmazonDelivered however fast you want it. Ebook on AmazonRead it on a Kindle, a phone or a tablet, straight away.
Lil Man holding out a glazed bundt cake on a white plate, grinning with his eyes closed.

Release Day

Where Lil Man Who Can landed on Amazon the day it came out.

#1Early Childhood Education
#1Children's Short Story Collections
#1Educational Professional Development
#1Decision Making & Problem Solving
#1Educational Problem Solving
#2Educational Certification & Development

Amazon best seller rank by category, release day.

Peek Inside

Eight spreads from the book, illustrated by Mattea Muzzy.

Scroll to turn the page

Lil Man waves hello in front of a mountain of desserts, with a caped version of himself standing on top.
His mother hands him a glowing wooden spoon across a tiled kitchen counter laid with bowls, sugar, flour and eggs.
Butter, sugar, flour, 7up and vanilla fly into a blue mixing bowl while mother and son wait at the oven.
Inside the glowing oven, the cake rises while the family breathes in the smell filling the house.
Lil Man jumps for joy in the kitchen, and the cake sinks in the pan.
The family arrives for the celebration and everyone reaches for the cake.
Lil Man in a blue suit and chef hat, arms up beside his stand, Lil Man's Deezerts.
An open menu and a handwritten recipe page beside Lil Man in safety goggles, working on a new dessert.

Deezerts

“One Slice Will Change Your Life.”

That line was not written for the book. It is the slogan of a real business.

Lil Man in a blue suit and tie, arms raised beside his stand, Lil Man's Deezerts.
The business behind the story

Deezerts is real.

I started it to help pay for my college education. The name in the book and the slogan on the sign both come straight off the real thing.

Look closely at Lil Man at his stand. He is in a suit and tie. That is not a costume the illustrator invented. That is how I dressed for every delivery I made.

Deezerts on Instagram

Book Me

Bring the book, or bring the whole kitchen. Everything runs on portable equipment, so a cafeteria, a community room or a parking lot all work.

Lil Man throws an arm wide beside his finished cake, mid presentation.
Four ways to work together
Speaking engagementsSchools, districts, conferences, community rooms and youth programs.
ReadingsThe book read out loud to a room of kids who see themselves in it.
SigningsBookstores, libraries, festivals and school events.
Cooking classesHands on, all ages, cooked start to finish on portable equipment. No kitchen required.

Mr. D is the Culinary Arts Program Director at Growing Together Bay Area, where he runs weekly culinary programming at four West Contra Costa schools. Everything is cooked on portable equipment, so no school kitchen is needed. See the full background on LinkedIn.

Tell me what you have in mind

Fill this out and it comes straight to my inbox.

Goes to lilmanwhocan@gmail.com. Nothing is stored anywhere else.

The Kitchen

The cooking, the book, and everything in between. @lilmanwhocan on all three.

Our Small World

The nonprofit d'Artagnan founded.

Mission

Our Small World empowers youth in underserved communities through mentorship and culturally grounded education built around the Four C’s: Culinary Arts, Culture, Commerce, and Character. Through hands on culinary experiences that explore diverse cuisines, farm to table food systems, and healthy eating, our programs use food as a gateway to conversations about entrepreneurship, financial literacy, etiquette, and life skills, equipping young people with the confidence, practical knowledge, and community support needed to thrive.

Visit Our Small World

oursw.org

Newsletter

Recipes, tour dates, and what the kids cooked this week.

One email, once in a while

Get the recipes and the tour dates

A new recipe you can make with a kid, where the book is going next, and the occasional photo of a seven year old frying his first beignet. No spam. Leave whenever you want.

A kitchen counter laid out with bowls, sugar, flour, butter and a carton of eggs.