For board-certified dermatologist Dr. Evelyn M. Jones, skin has always been about much more than what we see in the mirror. As founder of WellSprings Institute, Jones has spent more than three decades helping patients understand, care for, and feel confident in their skin. Now, she is sharing that message with a younger audience through her newly published children’s book.
Dottie’s Wonderful Skin is a heartwarming children’s book that blends simple science, body awareness, and biblical truth to help young readers embrace self-confidence, kindness, and gratitude for God’s beautiful creation.
The colorful rhyming text encourages children to appreciate their skin—including its color, texture, freckles, birthmarks, and imperfections—while learning how the body’s largest organ works.
At its heart is a simple message. You are wonderfully made, and the things that make you different are part of what makes you who you are. “I want children to embrace that uniqueness and honor that in a healthy way,” Jones said.
Her commitment to education is what eventually led her to write a children’s book. The idea for Dottie’s Wonderful Skin developed when Jones became increasingly concerned about the messages children and teenagers were receiving about skincare through social media. Young girls were asking about products such as retinoids and other treatments that may not be appropriate for developing skin. Jones saw an opportunity to offer something different: reliable information from a medical professional, presented in a way children could understand.
But skincare was only part of the message. Jones also wants children to understand that there is no single definition of what beautiful skin looks like. She believes in the need to hear early—and often—that freckles, eczema, birthmarks, differences in skin tone, and other characteristics don’t diminish your worth.
“There are things that some people have more of and some people have less of,” Jones said. “It doesn’t change who we are. It doesn’t change anything about the anatomy of the skin.”
Jones initially wasn’t sure what to name her main character. Aston Layne, one of Jones’s assistants, suggested Dottie which the author quickly latched on to. Her mother’s first name was Dorothy, and Jones has always loved polka dots—so much so that dots are incorporated into her own logo.
Her publisher, Melinda Martin, connected Jones with illustrator Emma Clements in England. When Clements sent Jones a rendering of Dottie dressed in red, Jones knew the character had come to life. The color red also reminded Jones of the red jackets worn by Paducah’s Ambassadors Group, founded by her mother, the late Paducah Mayor Gerry Montgomery.
The book is intended for boys and girls ages 4 to 12. The book also led to the development of the Delightfully Dottie Skincare Kit for children, teenagers, and those with sensitive skin. The collection includes three products, Poppy, Coco, and Sunny, born out of questions Jones was hearing from young patients and parents about what children should—and should not—be putting on their skin.
In a world where children are constantly exposed to images and messages telling them how they should look, Jones is offering a different message. You don’t have to look like anyone else to be beautiful.
As a dermatologist, educator, author, and grandmother, Jones hopes Dottie will help a new generation understand that their skin is something to care for—but never something to be ashamed of. Because, as Dottie reminds young readers, there is something wonderful about every skin story.
For more information, visit drevelynjones.com.
