JUST PUBLISHED!
NEW PICTURE BOOK
BY REX DEVERELL
ILLUSTRATED
by
SHELTON DEVERELL
A child roams through a city park. So much to see! So many animals
squabbling and climbing and flying and fleeing and peeking through the trees
and along the trails. But there, deep in
the park what do we see? To our surprise, a puddle of water and all the animals
drinking together. A beautiful lesson about how differences can be overcome and
how we can all gather around the same pools for sustenance.
Muddle in the Park
A child roams
through a city park. So much to
see! So many animals squabbling and climbing and flying and fleeing and peeking
through the trees and along the trails. But there deep in the park what do we see? To our
surprise, a puddle of water and all the animals drinking together. A beautiful
lesson about how differences can be overcome and how we can all gather around
the same pools for sustenance.
The book, for early
readers and preschool children, was based on a child’s observation and
written by award winning writer, Rex Deverell. It is gorgeously illustrated in watercolours
by artist, Shelton Deverell.
This picture book began on the front lawn of a public library. We had put out acall for neighbourhood children and grown-ups to join our theatre project. Weasked them to tell us stories about their town by Lake Ontario. “Muddle in the Park” was inspired by one of those stories.
The library was in Mimico – a little town that has been swallowed up by the big City of Toronto. In the end we made a play together with music and art work and laughing and fun.
And then I wrote the words for this book and Shelton Deverell painted the pictures
Thanks to all the Mimico people who were part of this wonderful project. Thanks to Mimico Public Library, Lakeshore Arts, and Mixed Company Theatre fo rmaking it all possible.
And thanks our friends who read the book in draft helped us to get it into print: Cynthia Reyes, Pat Brennan,
Greg Watson, Grace Morton, and James Morton.
The softcover book is
available at A Different Booklist in
Toronto, and Manticore Books in Orillia.
We will also mail it
directly to you, if you contact us by email.
The digital version is
also available online here :https://www.blurb.ca/b/10367838-muddle-in-the-park.
