One of the best things about our dogs is that they are there with a friendly gesture when they know we are hurting....wonderful, even if their kisses smell like dog food. :) (Illustration taken from Champ's Story: Dogs Get Cancer Too!, published by Sylvan Dell.)
I received this review of my latest book, Prairie Storms, from Sylvan Dell last night, and wanted to share it with you:
PRAIRIE STORMS (reviewed on July 15, 2011)
A passel of prairie wildlife weathers a year of storms.
In February, “The hibernating ground hog stirs, awakes. It unplugs the door to its den and peers out. Soft billows of fog blot / out the sun.” June sees “Puffy morning clouds build and build all afternoon until thunder clouds tower high. Flash! Boom! The white tailed doe and fawn both flee, helter-skelter toward a tree.” Skunks endure dust storms. A cougar shelters from hail. A prairie chicken digs for roots after a blizzard. Each double-page spread presents a different prairie beast and a different weather event for each month. Pattison’s text is descriptive and refrains from anthropomorphizing; however, it ends abruptly, giving this more of the feel of a list than a cohesive tale. Rietz’s watercolors of realistic animals in various areas of the grassland habitat are a good match. Six pages of activities and quizzes on animals, weather, habitats and seasons follow December’s spread.
Best for classrooms or school libraries looking to plump their science collections. (Informational picture book. 6-10)
Here is an exciting sample of an illustration from the book...
Prairie Storms author, Darcy Pattison, is having a give-away over at Goodreads. Enter between now and August 10th for your chance to win a free copy of our book.
You can also now follow both of these books on Facebook!
And finally...
And finally...
Check out what's new over at my fine art blog, when you get a chance and are in the mood for something different.
