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Life Lessons For Children
Solitary Toes and Brown-Headed Cowbirds follows a pack of hunting dogs and how they react when a horse is brought to their farm. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
The inspiration for Solitary Toes and Brown-Headed Cowbirds began when we lived in Catoosa, Oklahoma. We had horses and many hunting dogs. The memories of all our animals are what I want to record for the next generation of young readers.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with the illustrator Mike Minick?
Mike Minick is a wonderful illustrator. He is an illustrator and a graphic designer in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mike and I are very compatible. I send Mike my manuscript which he reads and then we talk about his ideas for the illustrations. He makes many sketches, we discuss, and then he lines them up with the text. He will send me colored-in sketches during this process. Then he completes the illustrations with the text and sets it up in book form according to Archway Publishing’s guide lines. Then we send to the publisher. We spend around one hour each week talking with each other until the process is complete.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
- Life lessons for children shown through animals—team effort, helping friends, being nice to others, and learning from family members.
- Relationships between different kinds of animals.
- Learning about nature.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Chatty the Hen Pheasant (Travels With The Pack) – It became available 11/11/2021.
Desert Friends (Travels With The Pack) – I’m sending it to Archway Publishing in a couple of weeks.
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Website
Solitary Toes and Brown-Headed Cowbirds shares a humorous story depicting the relationships between horses, cowbirds, and hunting dogs. Geared toward first through third grade readers, this young reader’s book helps children improve their reading skills while providing knowledge about animals, nature, and life lessons.
Solitary Toes and Brown-Headed Cowbirds
Solitary Toes and Brown-Headed Cowbirds: A Hickory Doc’s Tale by author Linda Harkey tells the story of how a pack of bird hunting dogs meet a race horse. Zeek, Deacon, and Doc are German Shorthaired Pointers and very proud of their pedigree and hunting abilities. They live in their hacienda with the Great One and the Other One and hunt birds. They were not pleased at all when BJ the race horse is brought to their farm. After a few scuffles between horse and dogs, they decided to set things straight once and for all, with an old fashion race.
Author Linda Harkey has written an entertaining children’s book. The personalities of all the animals will delight children. From the first page you will find the hunting dogs humorous and engaging. The artwork by illustrator Mike Minick brings Harkey’s words to life. The collaboration between the two is extraordinary. Readers will enjoy the banter between BJ and the pack, especially Zeek who likes to stir up trouble and than blame someone else.
Solitary Toes and Brown-Headed Cowbirds: A Hickory Doc’s Tale by author Linda Harkey is perfect for a classroom library or for children that love animal stories. This enchanting picture book has humorous dialogue, colorful and vibrant artwork, and a thrilling storyline that will make this a book you will definitely want to add to your collection.
Pages: 48 | ASIN : B07NJLPL94
LITERARY TITAN 