Telling Animal Tales Takes Talent

Telling animals' tales takes talent.  Local artist and author Jeff Terry unveils his keen observational skills with his creative artistic and storytelling abilities in two new nonfiction books about interesting wildlife. I sent Scowl-Face to interview Jeff.  Click the images below to bigify, as Tober the Library Cat would say.

 Aerial Hunters: Red-Tailed Hawk (2013)

written & illustrated by Jeff Terry

(MPL Call No. EASY 598.944 TER)

Winter Animals: Hunters of the Cold, Arctic Wolves (2013)

written & illustrated by Jeff Terry

(MPL Call No. EASY 599.773 TER)

Jeff is a quiet, soft-spoken young man who loves to sketch animals and tell about their real lives and stories.  How does he draw such wonderful images?  "That is no problem," Jeff said.  It's just a matter of imagining the scenes and bringing them to life in pictures.  Jeff draws upon facts he has researched in various books he has checked-out from the Library. 

Local Artist & Author Jeff Terry

with his two new nonfiction wildlife books

Jeff's books are filled with magnificent images and detailed information that will excite early literacy readers.  They are excellent read-alouds, in which both the adult reader and young child listener/reader will discover many previously unknown, but intriguing, facts about the red-tailed hawk and arctic wolves.

Jeff's mother encouraged him to write and illustrate his own books.  "He regularly visits the Library, checks-out all the books about animals, and absorbs everything," said our Miss Miriam, whom I call Cataloger Queen. "That's why he knows so much about animals.  He draws pictures based upon what he's learned about them from library books."

Being an animal myself (or, as I say, moiself), I enjoy well-written, visually engaging picture books about all manner of critters.  Jeff's books are some of the best I've seen.  It is so completely cool to have an author/illustrator who uses our Library!

If you have young readers at home, be sure to check-out Jeff's books. They are available in our online Evergreen Indiana catalog (click the call number links under the photos above).  Jeff's next book will be about Japanese bees.  There's already quite a buzz about it.  All kidding aside, I'm looking forward to seeing it when it's published.  We will, of course, have a copy available to check-out.  I'll keep you posted.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat