Celebrating Hazel

Two weeks ago, Hazel turned two. She is such a funny and fun child that we all trip over ourselves to celebrate her. I want to tell you about one of her gifts...

Hazel is constantly seeing wild animals in her backyard. She often plays outside or in a sunroom overlooking her yard and the woods beyond. She has spotted a fox, raccoons, a family of deer, a groundhog,  squirrels, a box turtle and birds galore – including a red-tailed hawk, a great-horned owl, hummingbirds, and indigo buntings – not to mention all the insects and butterflies that visit her garden. At two, she has noticed more animals than some people do in a lifetime. Often, she will give them names and she always wants to tell her Bee and Deed about her latest sighting.

As you may recall, for her first birthday, I made her a board book about the "Bugs of Farm Dover." This year, I wanted to make her a book featuring all her new backyard friends. I quickly ran into problems figuring out how to illustrate the book. I mentioned to Hazel's talented Uncle Jack that I was looking for some suitable illustrations and he graciously offered to paint them. Here's a peek at some sample pages.

Needless to say, the book was a hit. She loves reading it to her friends from the Hundred-Acre Woods, who now reside at Farm Dover. And of course, I'm delighted that she is so interested in what is happening just outside her window.

Happy Birthday, Hazel. May you always be so curious.