Finally, here is the version I’ll use for my new SHELBY F SQUIRREL book, The Great FOREST CAPER. Thanks to Birgie Ludlow for her wonderful computer and design work, and for her patience.
A little about the cover:
When I was more than halfway through the book, it hit me one day that I was echoing my friend’s story, “Stephen”. Sandra Sakofsky wrote it in 2009, telling of a group of animals, and a rat named Stephen leading them, in a well-planned sabotage of the machinery set to level the ground to clear it for a new subdivision. It’s in the book “A Rainbow of Poems Stories” that Writers Forum published in 2014.
My SHELBY story, begun in 2016, proved how much her story had gone into my head and stayed there in my subconscious mind. Thence the acknowledgement on the cover. Some of the action is very similar to that in “Stephen”.
In this new story, SHELBY’S friends play a large part. So on the cover a few of them are represented, somewhat subtly. The reason for this is that throughout the unfolding of the plot, most of the time they are hiding, on sentry duty, and ready to fight, whenever a threat might appear.
That’s Charlie, the old farm horse, down in the right corner, who has cousins that have experienced the same kinds of things that are happening in the forest. Peeking out from the large tree trunk is Billy the Goat, whose head-butting skills are put to the test . Perched above is the Wise Old Owl, SHELBY’S long-time mentor and friend, and sitting on the ‘R’ is Rosie. I know she looks like a bluebird here, but in the book she’s a robin. One of those things; call it poetic licence if you will. That’s the only way I can explain it.
Others in the plot include: Sultan the Rooster and his harem, the brown hens / Billy’s two lady friends, Nanny and Capra / Molly and Polly Raccoon / Marvin F. Mouse / and even the farm swans. New friends are the skunks, whose special talents come in very handy. And here again, Sandy’s story was the inspiration!!
Thanks, Sandy, for sharing your creativity, and for the years of friendship.
Eleanor Lawrie, Author 