The Wonders of Writing about Nature with Janet Halfmann + Giveaway

Cover of Fur and Feathers

Welcome to Day 8 of Janet Halfmann’s Fur and Feathers Book Blog Tour!!

Janet Halfmann is the award-winning author of over thirty children’s books.  Her latest, Fur and Feathers is a fun, imaginative tale of animal coverings:

When Sophia dreams that howling winds whisk the fur and feathers off her animal friends, she shares her clothes with them. But her clothing doesn’t work well for the animals. Seeing their disappointment, she finds her grandma’s huge sewing basket and offers to sew each animal the “right” coat. Animals line up to explain what they need and why. Polar Bear needs white fur to stay warm and hide in the snow. Fish needs scales, but with slime. Snake needs scales too, but dry ones. And how will Sophia make a prickly coat for Porcupine?

Janet is the mother of four and the grandmother of four. She and her husband live in South Milwaukee, WI. When Janet isn’t writing, she enjoys gardening, visiting new places—especially living history museums and nature centers—reading, watching movies, and spending time with her family.

Janet will be visiting the Lori Calabrese Writes blog most of the day, so if you have any questions, please visit and enjoy finding out how Janet is amazed at the wonders of writing about nature…

The Wonders of Writing about Nature
by Janet Halfmann

I am constantly amazed at the wonders to be found in nature. Each time I research a new animal or plant, the details of its makeup and behavior leave me in awe.

My love of nature began as a child, growing up on a crop and small dairy farm in mid-Michigan. I loved listening to the bobwhite’s whistle. I loved watching the wrens build their nest in the little birdhouse atop the clothesline post. I loved going to the woods in the spring to pick violets and bluebells. I loved riding to the back forty in the pickup with my dad to see how much the soybeans had grown. I loved sitting on the back porch at night with my family listening to the crickets chirp. And I especially loved the farm cats and kittens, who loved me as much as I loved them.

Thirteen years ago when I decided to write for children full-time, I wanted to write about animals and nature. But many of the writers’ books I read warned against it if one wanted to get published. I’m not sure of the reasons now after all these years. But in any case, most of the notes I tossed into my idea file ended up being about nature and animals. So I started writing about what I loved, and now I’m celebrating the release of my twenty-fifth nature book!

When I research an animal I especially want to find out the little details about its life: how does a baby bat practice to learn to fly, how does an alligator build its nest, how do geese teach their goslings to survive. It’s the little details that make the story come alive for me and the reader.

For example, in my book Alligator at Saw Grass Road (Smithsonian Backyard), a favorite part for readers is when a red-bellied turtle lays her eggs in the alligator’s nest, then leaves knowing the eggs will be protected. In Pelican’s Catch (Smithsonian Oceanic), kids are intrigued by the seagull who keeps trying to steal the seabird’s fish. These little-known details make the story fun for me to write and add drama for the reader.

I especially like writing about nature like I’m telling a story, either nonfiction or fiction. I have written many books for Soundprints, which publishes nature stories in association with the Smithsonian Institution. The stars of these stories have ranged from polar bears to hermit crabs to ants. When I was working on my upcoming book, Garter Snake on Willow Creek Lane, my 5-year-old grandson became so interested in my research books that he created a snake book for me! What inspiration!

My first published fiction book, Little Skink’s Tail (Sylvan Dell Publishing, 2007), is about a little lizard. She loses her tail to a hungry crow and then daydreams of wearing the tails of other forest animals. I got the idea for this story while writing a nonfiction book about all kinds of lizards. I found it fascinating that most lizards can snap off their tails to escape danger. I was especially captivated by young skinks, who have brightly colored tails. Little Skink turned out to be the perfect character not only for starring in a fun story, but for teaching readers about all kinds of tails and for encouraging children to be comfortable with themselves as they are (this last message evolved all on its own in the telling of the story, for which I am very grateful).

And now, my second published fiction book, Fur and Feathers, is also about animals—and a caring young girl named Sophia. When I read on Sylvan Dell Publishing’s website that they were looking for a book on animal “wraps,” I immediately put on my brainstorming cap. Out of it popped a young girl who couldn’t sleep because of a storm, a dream storm that blew off all of the animals’ coverings, and an all-night sewing session in which Sophia fashions new coats for the animals. A favorite part of writing Fur and Feathers was helping Sophia find special touches to add to the new coats. I included all the animal groups in the story, so that besides being fun, the book would be as educational as possible. Fur and Feathers is also a story about friendship and caring.

I don’t think that I could stop writing about animals and nature even if I tried. There’s always something new I find on a walk, or in my backyard, or in something I read or hear that begs to be tossed into my idea file. And someday, that idea may very well turn into a book.

To learn more about Janet Halfmann, please visit her official website.

**GIVEAWAY**

Janet Halfmann has graciously offered to give away an autographed copy of Fur and Feathers to one of Lori Calabrese Writes!' lucky readers. To enter, please visit Lori Calabrese Writes! and leave a comment.