Pets and Authors

Mayra Calvani, author and animal lover, has a fun blog featuring authors and their pets. I know my pets have been major inspirations for my writings. In fact, they were interviewed by Mayra a while back. If you missed it, here's the link on April 5, 2009.

But you'll want to check out all the others as well at www.petsandauthors.blogspot.com. Today Donna Shepherd and her adorable Labradoodle, Sadie, reveal their secrets.

Try writing your own animal story--whether you have a pet or not. Invent a character, give the animal a problem, and send him on his way to solve the problem--and, of course, encounter even more problems along the way.

Here's a quick list of some favorite picture book animal stories:

FROG AND TOAD ARE FRIENDS by Arnold Lobel

GOOD NIGHT, GORILLA by Peggy Rathmann (a wordless picture book)

IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE by Laura Joffe Numeroff

MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS by Robert McCloskey

THE VELVETEEN RABBIT by Margery Williams

HARRY, THE DIRTY DOG by Gene Zion

Have fun!

ZeBee's Virtual Summer Zoo Camp for Children

Too Dog-Gone Good to Miss

and

Just in time to beat summertime boredom--

ZEBEE'S Virtual SUMMER ZOO CAMP

An online cybercamp for children 5-8

Fun, educational activities--starting TODAY!!!

Eight weeks of zoo animal adventures

Prizes, games, animal trivia, arts & crafts, puzzles

July 6-August 28

Sign up today and join Joy Delgado at Laughing Zebra Books for Children