Monday, May 14, 2012

An Udderly Moovelous Encounter

One of the best things about writing is that I never know what wonderful places it will take me.  When I wrote In the Trees, Honey Bees! I spent hours at my friend’s beehives photographing their busy bees zooming in and out of the hives, gathering nectar and pollen, and taking tiny sips of water from a puddle. I was delighted when the editor used my picture of a bee with pollen packed on its leg in the back of the book. When I wrote Come See the Earth Turn: The Story of Léon Foucault, I harkened back to the days when I was a child on a school field trip watching a great brass pendulum swing back and forth until it knocked down one peg, then another.  (Who knew that the child quietly standing there watching would one day write a book about it?)

In just a few hours, Cindy Moo is bounding into bookstores! A grand day in a two-year publication journey!

In honor of Cindy Moo, I met a real life Cindy Moo named Butterfly Tilly. She lives on a quiet farm just a few miles away from my house.


When I saw her for the first time, I couldn’t believe it—Butterfly Tilly looked just like Cindy Moo! Cindy and Tilly not only have the same brown and white coloring, they have a brown patch on their eye too. If Cindy and Tilly lived on the same farm, they'd be great friends--and you know what they’d be doing late one night? They’d be trying to jump over that big ol’ silver moon!


(Actually, she was more interested in eating the book than hearing a story!)

10 comments:

  1. What a great way to launch your book! Will Butterfly Tilly be making all your school visits with you too? ;)

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    1. I wish she could! She's actually a four-month old calf, but she's big for her age because of her breed. (She kept trying to eat the book--and my sweater!) :-)

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  2. I’ll be asking for Cindy Moo at my local bookstore and library. I’ve already fallen in love with the cover and I bet my students will too. I look forward to reading the story!

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  3. What a cute cute looking book! I live on a dairy farm and love your idea...saw the post on the CW and wanted to congratulate you!

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    1. Thanks, Sharon! And how wonderful that you live on a dairy farm. (My husband grew up on one.)

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  4. Congratulations on your book! I want to read it, and see your wonderful illustrations. :D

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  5. This was such a charming book! I had the pleasure of reading it via Sacramento Book Review a few weeks ago. What a great send-off picture with Butterfly Tilly! (Don't you love that name!)

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  6. This is so cute! And I love how the photo with the real cow looks just like your cover. And that cow really seems to be eyeballing that other cow. 8-)

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  7. Thanks Pile Girl, Elizabeth, and Kristi!
    (I'm working on a book trailer with my college age son, so I'll be announcing that, one of these days. (A whole new mountain to climb--and my son is getting tired of me saying, "Just one more thing!!)

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