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I was very pleased to read your book, Jessica the Furry Baroo. We need more books that combine a charming storyline with an important message. The genius of the book is that by means of a delightful story, it speaks to the very soul of the young reader about our relationships with other kingdoms.

Jessica’s interchange with the rat snake dispels irrational fears of city dwellers when the rat snake assures Jessica, “I just want to catch some nice fat rats for my breakfast.”

With Jessica the Furry Baroo’s help, the story emphasizes taking care not to interrupt natural cycles. When Mrs. Bullfrog admonishes JD to watch out for her babies, JD recalls that the tadpoles need to stay in the water to grow up and change into bullfrogs.

Throughout the book, Jessica, Jeremy and JD teach respect for other forms of life as they share adventures on the farm and in the woods.

We hope that you will continue to write more books for children that combine lovely art, children relating to nature, and reverence for life. These are the sort of books we seek for our school library. Now as never before, as we pay the price for so many lives removed from nature, humanity needs such meaningful storylines.

Thank you for your valuable contribution to children’s literature. We hope you write more books like this one.

Vicki Johnston,
Founding Director of the Robert Muller School,
McKinney, Texas

Beautifully illustrated tale (tail?) of tolerance

This is a wonderful book to snuggle up with before or after a nature hike with your child, but could easily be included in a K-6th grade classroom. The book's lesson--every living thing has a place in the world and deserves our respect--is an important one for every child and future citizen of the world to learn.

L. Cole

A. Kennedy (Texas)

Jessica the Furry Baroo is an excellent story that teaches about the wonders of nature through the relationship between two youngsters and their loving canine companion, Jessica, and also instills in the reader, both young and old, a feeling of caring about all the creatures we share this planet with... If you enjoy nature and animals, both wild and domestic, you will enjoy Jessica the Furry Baroo! Can't wait till the next in the series is out!, February 9, 2009

By J. Nugent (North Texas)

No family or k-6 library is complete without Jessica The Furry Baroo!

Jessica The Furry Baroo is a delightful, beautifully written must-have book for anyone that spends time with a child. One cannot help but fall in love with Jessica and "her boys" as they explore the natural world through Jessica's eyes.

Parents, grandparents and teachers will find that each turn of the page is a warm welcome for children. This fun, wonderfully illustrated book contains important, relevant lessons for a world that all too often does not understand the importance of all the creatures we share our planet with. The story will take children to a place well beyond the suburban backyard; a place where a boy and horse can swim together in a pond. The author's deep love and respect for nature are apparent in every word as they take readers on a journey that teaches lessons not only about nature, but also about tolerance.
Jessica The Furry Baroo can easily transition into any k-6 classroom situation as lessons in animal adaptations, and respect for those adaptations, are explained with each wild animal encounter.

Mrs. M.D. (North Texas)