Jasperite Moira McKinnon is at it again.
She’ll be releasing her second children’s book on Dec. 10.
Wood Lillies and Silly Billies promises to take children on a journey of exploration through the Canadian Rockies.
“One of the things that really encouraged me to do another book was the feedback I had received from the first one,” McKinnon said. “Parents and kids would come up and tell me that they had learned a lot from it and that’s a nice feeling.”
McKinnon’s first book, Awesome Ants and Ladybugs in Pants was actually something she had been working on for nearly two decades.
“I was on maternity leave and my girls really liked rhyming books so I started thinking about little poems for them and I would just write them down here and there,” she said. “I’d be in the shower and a little rhyme would come to my head and it would just stick with me.”
However, once McKinnon got back to work, she pushed the idea of crafting a children’s book to the back of her mind.
“But it never went away. I just kept thinking about it,” she said. “So eventually I just decided that the time was right.”
In 2013 Awesome Ants and Ladybugs in Pants hit the shelves. After an encouraging reception, McKinnon got right back to work on her second project.
Using rhymes, couplets and colourful illustrations by Robert Carl’sson, Wood Lillies and Silly Billies educates its readers about some of Jasper’s most recognizable animals and plants.
“I had to do a fair amount of research in order to write this book, so I hope it encourages children to ask questions of their own and do a little bit of research about the place they live,” the author said. “I hope it teaches people about the area in a fun way that will hopefully stick in their heads.
“I always found little rhymes helped me remember things.”
Wood Lillies and Silly Billies will be launched at the Jasper Municipal Library on Dec. 10 at 3 p.m. McKinnon is encouraging youngster to dress up as their favourite mountain animals and come listen to a few readings from the book.
“I just hope a lot of families come out and have some fun,” McKinnon said. “I did something like this for my last book launch and it went really well.”
If this book is as successful as the first, McKinnon said she hopes to do a second volume of Wood Lillies and Silly Billies, highlighting even more of Jasper’s diverse wildlife.
“There was just so much to choose from. It was hard to narrow it down.”
McKinnon is hoping to have Wood Lillies and Silly Billies available at a few local shops, but until then the book can be purchased through the Awesome Ants and Ladybugs in Pants Facebook page.
Kayla Byrne [email protected]
