Beautifully Written Children’s Picture Book

Feb. 5, 2013 - PRLog -- Matt Harrigan is author of beautifully written children’s picture book,

The Zoo’s Annual Piggyback Race.

TROY, N.Y. -- When debut author Matt Harrigan went to the zoo earlier this year, the last thing he expected to find was an idea for a new children’s book.

However when two promiscuous giant turtles became engaged in some nuptial activities in front of a large crowd, many a child began to ask their parents, “Mummy, Daddy, what are they doing?”

One parent, who was standing next to Matt, responded that “the animals were practicing for a piggyback race”.

“The little girl who asked the question,” explains Matt “was incredibly excited by her father’s answer. I was equally impressed, so much so that I just couldn’t get the thought out of my head for the rest of the day. Then I began to picture what would happen if a piggyback race at the zoo actually took place.”

The Zoo’s Annual Piggyback Race is a fun story about an exciting race in which all of the animals take part! However amongst the excitement, misfortune strikes, putting all but one pair of animals out of the race.

“The gun went off, the race had begun, but catastrophe struck them, one by one.” Children will love the rhyming prose of this book along with the whimsical  illustrations, masterfully completed by Melinda Beavers. It is perfect for reading aloud and will be very appealing to children of 2-5 years of age. With 17 different species featured throughout, the book is also great to help children learn about the many different types of animals in the world.

“After explaining how I arrived at the idea, most people do ask ‘oh, is it a sex education book?’ But the answer is no, definitely not” reinforces Matt. “It is just a fun and entertaining book about what would happen if the animals actually did compete in a piggyback race”.

About the author and illustrator

Matt Harrigan is a passionate writer of creative stories. He holds a degree in Aerospace Engineering and is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). The Zoo’s Annual Piggyback Race is his debut children’s book. He was born in Melbourne, Australia but currently lives in Bristol in the United Kingdom.

Melinda Beavers is an illustrator & designer. She creates fun, whimsical illustrations in coloured pencil. As an active member of the SCBWI, Melinda serves as both Illustrator Coordinator & Newsletter Editor for the New Mexico Region. She is also an award winning member of the Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA). Melinda

was brought up in New Jersey but currently lives in Albuquerque, NM.

To arrange an interview with the author, or to request a review copy, contact Nicole Riley at New Shelves Distribution – nicole@newshelves.com, (518) 261-1300.

Photo:
https://www.prlog.org/12071067/1