Welcome to this blog ~
This blogger, Jan Godown Annino (byline: JG ANNINO) is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators , organizing the Tallahassee group of it about six years back.
Like many journalists, JG keeps a repertoire of stories ranging from an interview chat on a Habitat for Humanity walk with Pres. Jimmy Carter, to her avoiding an interview with a mother black bear and cubs on Mt. LeConte in Tennessee. Cute cubs went up a tree and …
I (JG, or Jan) like to doodle & love to write & like to compose verse, which may or may not be poetry, but it’s fun. I also like to encourage young writers & new writers of any age.
In a mid-life publishing move to children’s literature, I’m proud of the first book result: FLORIDA’s FAMOUS ANIMALS. This photo-illustrated non-fiction paperback, with a swimmable aqua cover I love, features the true stories behind the headlines of 13 real animals. It also covers a dozen more animals, tame & wild, native & exotics, in brief infoboxes or sidebar lists. It is indexed & has sources listed. I met one of the animals featured when I was a kid in Sarasota, so you can see that childhood experiences can be catalyst for wonderful creative endeavors years (decades) later. Dig into your past to write something today. And continue bringing your children out into the world for hands-on experiences in nature, in great museums, both large & small, & with different cultures.
Back to Florida’s Famous Animals ~
It quickly earned attention from The Well Read Child column (in middle grade reviews archives) at:
www.wellreadchild.blogspot.com
This summer some of the stories in FFA are to be included in a Florida component of a paw-fectly perfect touring exhibit - Pets in America - created by American Studies expert , Dr. Katharine Grier, when it unfolds June,- August in the underground museum in Tallahassee, The Museum of Florida History
My poem (byline: Jan Godown) for young readers, set in the 1800s, about a bear on the beach, is included in the Milkweed Editions (www.milkweed.org) anthology :
The South Atlantic & Piedmont: A Literary Field Guide for Young Readers.
See my articles in a regional print family magazine, Tallahassee’s Family Forum, online too, www.familyforumonline.com . Look for the In the Classroom dept. column, Kid Lit. Kit. A lifelong collector type of person (empty shells from the shoreline, old postcards, children’s books, Seminole & Miccosukee native patchwork clothing ) my project of taking graduate classes in children’s literature offers a valid excuse to collect more children’s books, especially those autographed by their authors & illustrators, a bunch of creatives who put kiddos first.
Back to FLORIDA’s FAMOUS ANIMALS ~
For presentations on famous Florida animals
~ and that means the scoop on the stories of ~
Brownie, Town Dog Snooty, Manatee Mascot Lu, Town Hippo,
Dave, Parade Cat Jet, Dog near the Runway Big Guy, Panther Patient,
Chessie the far-traveling manatee, and other famous animals of Florida,
please let me know what event you’d like me to attend. I like author panels, so I may suggest others to invite.
JG Annino, Florida’s Famous Animals : library visits/ workshops/ bookfairs / festival presentations 850.942.6299
Calls are checked late afternoon & usually I send out emails or return calls 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Let me know other times good for you, including weekends. Please leave all your best contact info. I look forward to our visit.
bookseed studio po box 14143 tallahassee fl 32317-4143 is the office postal address.
In addition to this site be sure to visit www.globepequot.com publisher of Florida’s Famous Animals 1.800.243.0495 for phone orders of FFA & several of my travel guides, including Scenic Driving Florida (byline: Jan Godown)
FLORIDA’s FAMOUS ANIMALS book’s ISBN is #978.0.7627.4136.6
$9.95 plus tax
Your independent booksource can also speedily order it.
If I’m not the author for your event, please look at Virginia-based picture book author Kim Norman’s resource, Authors by State. Find it via her blog via her site at www.kimnorman.com. Her site is a fun visit.
You may directly reach her blog http://stonestoop.blogspot.com
COMMERCIAL moment ~
I do some of my online research using Goodsearch for the benefit of THE AMERICAN SOCIETY for the PREVENTION of CRUELTY to ANIMALS.
Do you know that you can sign up your school or non-profit to benefit from Goodsearch? www.goodsearch.com
I give away some books that I’ve not written through John and Karen Buckman’s fabulous worldwide sharing community, called BOOKMOOCH. www.bookmooch.com
Back to FLORIDA’s FAMOUS ANIMALS, ~
FFA features the stories of 13 real animals in Florida, native & exotic, domestic & wild, endangered, threatened or abundant (remember to spay & neuter) & how their world was affected by human interaction.
Wrapped up with it is info on wild animal rehabilitation, education, animal rescue & sources of additional info. With black & white photos, index and sidebar boxes, plus info on animals not profiled in a full chapter story.
It is hoped the book will help young readers think about careers in helping animals.
This blog, About Animals, is interested in animals the world over & covers animals far beyond the limits of the book.
A chrip, howl, bark, growl from animals on the prowl ~~
