Publishers Weekly - SAVING THE BAGHDAD ZOO

Needless to say, I'm thrilled that SAVING THE BAGHDAD ZOO was included in this feature in Publishers Weekly -- The War, at Home: Military Conflict in Books for Children and Teens. Thank you, thank you PW. Thank you, thank you John A. Sellers.

"Both Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle and Saving the Baghdad Zoo pair soldiers with picture book authors to tell hopeful, true stories set in Iraq," said Sellers. "Saving the Baghdad Zoo: A True Story of Hope and Heroes by Kelly Milner Halls and William Sumner (Greenwillow, Nov.) is a photographic account of Army major Sumner's work helping rescue abandoned animals in this zoo."

Happy me. : )

DONE...well, almost! SASQUATCH ROCKS!

Well, I'm putting the last finishing touches on my manuscript for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, IN SEARCH OF SASQUATCH and MAN, what a great adventure this has been. When I first started this journey, I was excited but unaware of HOW thrilling the path would be. How was I to know I'd discover a linguistics expert with 30 years of U.S. Navy and academic experience convinced the audio tapes of Sasquatch vocalizations represented language, not just random sounds? How could I have imagined the compelling anatomical proof that Sasquatch footprints are neither fakes nor human, but rather ape-like? The book will reveal the credibility of the concept of a North American Great Ape and the people who believe in it.

Revisions will come next, and that's one of my favorite parts of this job. Editorial teams turn a good manuscript into a magical book, and it's a transformation that always excites me. But I'm a little sad everytime a manuscript is "finished." Not for long. The next project is usually calling me. Looks like ALIEN ENCOUNTERS may be next. Hooray. So I see a trip to Area 51 in my immediate future. But I'm still determined to get to Australia to write that book on the baby fruit bat rescue hospital. They've already agreed to let me stay for a week and help with the rescue effort.

Any editors out there dying for a great baby bat photo essay project? This one is a BEAUTY!

Back to work, then lunch with Crutcher and Trueman. Hope EVERYONE has a great day. I'm gonna do my best to do the same! : )

Kelly

White DUNNY -- FREE, but out of reach

DANG. I want this great DUNNY from Kidrobot...and they're giving 500 away free. But you have to be at the store in NYC and I'm in Spokane. How unfair is that? Sigh. He should have been in my ALBINO ANIMALS book, huh? He's so cute and angry-like. Anyone in NYC willing to snag one for me? I know, REALLY unlikely, but I thought I'd ask. Sigh...again.

Isn't he great though? Check him out HERE.