Picture Book by Deanna K. Klingel

Beth’s Birds 

This week I'm featuring something a little different than usual. Deanna Klingel's book for children is a beautifully illustrated picture book in a series to teach about nature. It is the first of a nonfiction nature series for preschool to first grade. Little Beth shows the readers how to identify the backyard birds by their names.

This is what Deanna has to say about her book:

Beth’s Birds is the first of a series of nonfiction nature books for preschool through second grade. It’s my first picture book. It’s funny to say that because I have six published books and this book is the first one I ever wrote. You heard me correctly. I wrote this Little Beth Series when my youngest daughter, Beth, was four years old. It went to contract the week of her thirty-fourth birthday.

Beth is the youngest of seven children who were all still at home when she was four. It’s an understatement to say I was busy. I loved writing, and Beth and I shared a love of our backyard. When everyone else was in school, she and I spent our time in the garden. The books came about from that experience. A friend in Australia originally illustrated it using photographs of Beth doing these things with the birds. But that was as far as I went. I had no idea how to go about publishing a book, and no time to research it. The internet was in infancy thirty years ago, and I was involved in life. The manuscript and the illustrations went into a file and lived there for thirty years. I never forgot them.

When all the children left home, we retired and moved to the mountains. With a wonderful loft writing studio, more knowledge of the internet, and more time I began to discover the world of writing and publishing.  Conferences, networking, writing groups, writing classes all now had my full attention. After having five books published, I decided it was time to return to the picture book world I love. I found Peak City Publishing Company at a book festival, and when I saw her line, I knew Beth’s Birds and the other Little Beth Books would be a good fit for her line of picture books. She agreed. So, here is my new-born-thirty-year-old manuscript come to life! We used a different illustrator because the series needs to have a commonality with its illustrations. The illustrator did use a few of my original favorites as his model, however.

I’m excited about sharing my love of wildlife with very young children once again. I hope to visit preschools and kindergartens as well as nature centers, and meet the youngest readers.

Deanna K. Klingel lives and works in the mountains of western North Carolina with her husband and golden retriever. She enjoys the outdoors, quilting, sewing, reading and writing. She travels extensively with her books to schools, museums, Civil War reenactments, book festivals and conferences. She enjoys giving presentations.

If you would like a copy of this book for a young child in your family, Deanna is offering one in a drawing to one who leaves a comment and answers the question on this blog. Sorry, but it's only for North America mailings.

Annoying legal disclaimer: drawings void where prohibited by law; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. No purchase is necessary and one entry per post plus one extra for being a follower of the blog. Winner will be selected next week-end and posted here on Monday, May 5. You must be 18 or older to enter. Remember to leave your email address for contacting you in case of win.

Congratulations to Jackie McNutt who is the winner of Angela Meyer's book, Where Hope Starts

Question for you: What was your favorite book as a child? Remember to leave your email address so we can contact you.