Felice ShapiroMy friend Katie Dolan wrote a fabulous children’s book which is entertaining in it’s story and mission accompanied by Judith Oksner’s illustrations which are artful and endearing.
Without retelling the entire story, if you are a beach lover, interested in reading to a young child who can follow a plot line, this story about helping Piping Plovers (shorebirds) and an amazing dog will not only entertain you but teach you about the beaches we play on and the threats they face. You will have fun with this read.
Katie (the author) is a mere human in this story, but the main star is Bella, an enormous Newfoundland (who I have personally met and can attest to her star power). Bella’s handsome son Blue who is a helpful assistant. These 3 are on a mission to help the Piping Plovers.
The enemy of the plovers are both people and pet predators and garbage left behind by vacationers. The story makes a case for how we can get involved and help to make a difference in our environment on a very local level.
As we head to the beaches this summer and we notice there are roped off areas for the Plovers, we understand why that is after reading this wonderful story and we may be even want to get involved.
Bella the Wildlife Ambassador makes a great grandmother’s day book and mother’s day book for beach lovers with young kids. (Adults love it too).
Check it out for yourself.
To purchase, follow link:https://www.amazon.com/dp/1793200971/ref=sr_1_1…
A note from the author:
Bella, the Wildlife Ambassador was fun to research, write, and illustrate. The notion of a family book narrated by a big Newfoundland combines my passion for conservation and canines with a setting I’ve loved. I grew up swimming, body surfing, jogging, and walking our dogs at Goosewing Beach in Rhode Island.
Narrated by Bella, a wise Newfoundland, Protecting Piping Plovers describes her efforts to understand conflicts between wildlife, people, and pets. Bella is assisted in her work by me, her human, and Blue, her son. The endangered Piping Plovers are beautiful shorebirds who return each year to nest on the specific remote beach where they were born. Flying back from wintering grounds, the birds face an evolving mix of wild predators, beach construction near their nesting areas, and harassment by people and pets. Bella meets a young plover, visits a fox family and neighborhood cats, and organizes an appeal to the local Town Council to help protect the tiny shorebirds.
The book is a blend of fiction and non-fiction. It was fun imagining Bella as a savvy, sage Newfoundland, rather than the reality of my food-obsessed, cat-chasing dog. All of the beach events actually happened: watching an oblivious jogger nearly step on a tiny plover, taking Bella for emergency surgery after she ingested a dozen corncobs, and pulling Blue away from two madly mating snapping turtles. The conservation related information was garnered from many years of volunteering at The Nature Conservancy and the Wildlife Conservation Society
My goal is to create a series of global adventures where Bella and Blue talk with local wildlife about their struggles and highlight the fundamental connections between people and their pets, ecosystems, and wildlife. The books will have something for all ages: adorable animals and great stories for kids, fun illustrations, neat facts about animals, and specific suggestions for helping wildlife.
In the process of independently publishing this first book, I’ve learned a ton about book production, distribution channels, and marketing. I’ve been helped along the way by other BA50 authors, by friends in the conservation community, and by my social-media savvy kids.