Foxes and Bobcats and Wolves...oh my!

Farrah is so cute
That we always stare at her
This makes Farrah shy

I've always loved animals...all animals, but especially dogs and cats and their WILD relations!

Last week, my husband and I had the wonderful experience of visiting the Lakota Wolf Preserve for a photographic tour! What an incredible day! We spent several hours admiring and photographing not only the wolves, but foxes and bobcats too. We are already planning a photo session!! They are also situated on a campground so we will be taking our RV and our 2 year old daughter for an overnight adventure and a wolf watch. I see a wolf pack haicooo on the horizon...

Haicooo goes to the Zoooooo has been pushed back a bit as my work at the hospital and my father's sculpting have put both of us behind schedule...I'm thinking maybe a Spring release...stay tuned!

My Father Has a Thing for Frogs

So there absolutely had to be a frog!

I have found that when I read Haicooo to kids, the poem about the frog kissing, the kids burst into giggles...apparently kissing a frog is the highest level of comedy to a 5 year old.

Frogue is a French frog
He is very romantic
He likes to kiss you

Personally, I think if you go around kissing frogs, you might need to contact infection control...

Gavin

I watch Gavin eat Grass and hay and even garbage Gavin’s a good eater

Gavin is a favorite of many readers! Among them, the head of the NICU at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Pennsylvania, who read his poem during an interview on Service Electric Cable TV. Children who we have read to at various libraries, book stores and day care facilities around the Lehigh Valley in PA as well as in North Carolina, always get a big laugh when we mention that Gavin eats garbage...it also opens up the door to talk to the kids about what they like to eat and if they are good eaters (like Gavin). Imagine a silly little 3 line children's poem starting a conversation about kid's nutrition!

Shelby

Shelby chases sheep
He gets them all together
So they all can play

The drawing of Shelby is a compilation of the Shelty dogs with whom I spent my childhood... and my parent's current Shelties, Elvis and Foxy. My first Shelty was named Bough Bough (yes, I named her myself when I was 2). Sugar bear, a collie / samoyed mix joined us when Bough was something of a senior girl. Sugar was my introduction to the northern breeds...which may explain the three Siberian Huskies who currently live with me! Later, we welcomed Paddington into the family. He was a sweet little Shelty puppy boy who someone had left chained to a tree in my Grandparent's neighborhood.

Shelties love to herd sheep...and cats and bunnies and anything else they can find to round up! When I was a child, Bough helped be capture my bunnies, Bonny and Clyde, on more than one occasion when they had escaped their hutch. I even remember her herding mice in the garage!

This little haiku (haicooo) poem brings back so many happy memories of my best childhood friends! I hope your children enjoy it as much as I do!

Fireguy Joe

Fire guy Joe is bright
He lights up his behind
We watch Joe at night

Fireguy Joe is named in honor of the husband of a friend of mine who works with me at Lehigh Valley Hospital. He is a firefighter for the City of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Joe is incredibly brave and dedicated and we were thrilled to be able to honor him with our cute little bug!

Haicooo featured at library show

Painting for Children" An Invitational Exhibit of art by Children’s Book Illustrators (Aug 1 – Aug 31)*

**The Friends of the Pittsboro Memorial Library (www.pittsborolibraryfriends.org ) is thrilled to present a very special exhibit, *Painting for Children -* a celebration of play, whimsy, laughter and fun as seen through the eyes of North Carolina's talented Children's Book illustrators and authors through Aug. in the Reeves Gallery at the library, 158 West St., Pittsboro (542-3524). The exhibit may be viewed during Library hours (Mon 10-6, Tue10-8, Wed 10-6, Thu 10-6, Fri 10-6, Sat 9-5).

The invitational exhibit presents the work of twelve artists and writers, many of whom hold national recognition as some of the most talented illustrators and authors of children’s books. Others are just beginning this wonderful adventure.* *The Friends of the Pittsboro Memorial Library welcome author/illustrators- Clay Carmichael, Stacye Leanza, Pamela Pease, Leah Palmer Preiss, Sudie Rakusin, Miriam Sagasti; illustrators Kathryn Armstrong, Rebecca Guay, Jan Lawrence; and children’s book authors Forrest Greenslade, Louise Hawes, and Lavenia Holloway Womble.

The authors and illustrators* *have graciously agreed to read from their children’s books for this special library event Saturday, Aug. 25^th from 1pm to 3pm in the Reeves Auditorium. The Community is also invited to meet the artists and authors at the Pittsboro General Store Café from 3:30pm. to 5pm. The exhibit, the children’s story time event and the “Meet the Illustrators and Authors” book signing and reception is free and open to the public. Directions to The Pittsboro General Store Café are available at http://www.thegeneralstorecafe.com/home.html. It is an easy walk from the library.

Nicooo

Nicooo is our graphic portrayal of a newborn who requires special care. The baby bird symbolizes a helpless newborn. The philosophy of the doctors at the NICU at Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH), where my daughter was born, is to care for the entire family while helping the newborn become well enough to leave the hospital. Can you imagine anything harder than going home while your infant must stay in the hospital? To read more about LVH and the reason behind our decision to donate the proceeds from Haicooo: Little Poems for Children to the NICU at LVH, read this CheckUp story.