How fun to have Kathy Mazur with us today. Kathy and her daughter Lauren experience the wonderment of nature in their own backyard and capture it in a wonderful childrens book. Welcome Kathy.

Irene: Its Springtime in my Backyard sounds like such a delightful book for children between ages 4 and 8. Please tell our reading audience a gist of the story.

Kathy: Its Springtime In My Backyard is the story of my own six year old daughter, Lauren, and her relationship with two wild ducks that come and nest in her backyard at the first signs of spring. Throughout the story, Molly, the female duck, and Moe make repeated visits to our back door and quack for food. In the book, I capture these moments and the actions of Lauren feeding Molly and Moe and enjoying their visits.

Irene: Do the same two ducks come back every spring?

Kathy: For ten years a male and female Mallard had come to our backyard in the early spring. Lauren and I believe that they were Molly and Moe. Sadly, last year we did not see them though we are hoping to do so this spring. This story occurred in May of 2003.

Irene: What are some of the observations that Lauren makes during her interactions with Molly and Moe?

Kathy: She observes Molly nesting under the Canadian Hemlock tree which Lauren describes in the book as under the great green tree. She feeds Molly some of her cereal and finds out that Molly really likes crackers. She watches Molly drink, bathe and rest. Lauren learns that she needs to give Molly some space. She knows not to make any sudden movements, so as not to startle Molly. Patience, Lauren realizes, has its own rewards- a sweet ducks trust.

Irene: What inspired you to write this book?

Kathy: I have a fantastic daughter, Lauren, who is hardworking, thoughtful, energetic, dramatic and imaginative. There is something important, though, that you need to know about Lauren. At six years old, she had just completed two years of speech therapy, which is a slow process that requires dedication and hard work. During these two years she worked diligently on her phonics and her speech, and this greatly strengthened her communication and articulation skills. So by six, she was beginning to learn to read, and I wanted her to have more than just a toleration of reading- I wanted her to love to read, love to write, and love to create her own stories. I knew that if I could think of something that would spark her interest in a dramatic way, I would be successful in this endeavor.

Irene: Do you believe that Laurens interest was sparked dramatically? And, why?

Kathy: Definitely yes! Springtime became the vehicle by which Lauren could hone her reading skills. Reading our story with fluency and expression (as she does in the audio recording included with the book) became an important goal for her, a goal that inspired the development of a competent talent in reading. Lauren now reads quite well. And Im convinced her efforts in Springtime were in a large way responsible for getting her to where she is now.

Irene: This is different from other books for this age group. Please tell us what makes your book unique.

Kathy. There are several aspects of this childrens book that separate it from other such books. First of all, it is written in three parts to give a multi-sensory, multi-activity experience. Part one is the story that the child reads to her parent. Part two are the Mallard fact pages that are designed for the parent to read to the child. This gives the parent an opportunity to further connect with his child and at the same time learn about Mallard ducks. Part three is the photo collage depicting springtime. This collage is designed for the parent and child to have a discussion about springtime. What makes this childrens book very different from other such read a loud books is how the story is written and told. Written in the six year olds voice, this book features Lauren, as narrator, telling her story from her perspective. The level of language is perfect for the beginning reader. The narrator, in cartoon form, adds to the imagination of the story, illustrated doing typical springtime activities in her backyard. This brings a childs imagination to the story and empowers all children to think about their own stories. The final element that is truly special is the professional CD recording of Lauren, the narrator, reading Its Springtime In My Backyard. When you add up all of these elements you have one superlative reading experience for your child.

Irene: Basically, children are listening to a story read by a peer. What makes this more effective than listening to an adult narrator?

Kathy: Children naturally respond to other children. Having a story about a child that is read by that child empowers other young readers to realize that they too have stories to tell. I cant tell you how many parents have shared with me their childs eagerness to also be recorded reading Springtime.

Irene: How much help did you have from your daughter? And, what input was hers?

Kathy: This was a wonderful mother and daughter bonding experience. I, throughout this book process, was amazed at how aware my daughter was of her environment. Laurens input was profound as she taught me how important it is to slow down and allow the natural process of living day to day. Through many important discussions about the Mallards, sharing our bird books, checking information on many fun websites for children, we together created this story.

Irene: How much research did you have to do about Mallard ducks before you actually wrote the book?

Kathy: Being a birder it is very typical for my family and me to study birds on a daily basis. Because I share my knowledge with my daughter, who has the same love and respect for birds that I do, this process of learning about Mallard ducks was natural to us. We read all of our bird books, we went to the library, and we researched several websites about Mallard ducks.

Irene: There is an underlying message to the story. Please tell us what that deeper meaning is.

Kathy: For children, the deeper message is having respect, patience and appreciation for our wildlife. Also, appreciating the season Springtime, and all of its beauty and wonder. For Parents, the deeper message is in reminding us of the importance of slowing down and appreciating childhood. We think of parenthood, the connections we make with our children, the connections our children make with us and their environment.

Irene: How do the children respond to this message?

Kathy: In the way that children do best, with excitement and curiosity about the newness or novelty of a fresh adventure. The time of spring and the accompanying rebirth of much of nature is such a fresh adventure and exhilarating time for exploring and learning.

Irene: Why do children want to make a connection with a duck in particular?

Kathy: Perhaps because a duck appears to be friendly, approachable and non-threatening.

Irene: There is communication that goes on between the main character and the two Mallard ducks. Sometimes she just observes their actions from the human perspective. How do you instill into the child reader that in reality, there is no verbal communication between birds and people, yet in the book it occurs as a natural encounter.

Kathy: Actually, the main character only communicates non-verbally with the Mallards. When she says that Molly comes over to her house to say hello the character is interpreting Mollys coming towards her as Hello, not actually saying anything to her, except Quack, Quack!

Irene: The readers are able to escape into the fantasy of the back yard, communicating with nature to their hearts content. Do you encourage this and why?

Kathy: Yes I encourage this because our environment is an incredible learning opportunity for our children by which we can draw deep connections to our family, faith, and our values. We need to educate our children on caring and respecting our environment just as we care and respect one another.

Irene: I understand that you will be featured in several magazines. Please give us a little insight as where you will be featured.

Kathy: This March there will be a feature story about my daughter and me and our book in the monthly parenting magazine DANE COUNTY KIDS, Madison, WI. In April there will be a write-up about Its Springtime In My Backyard in WOMANS DAY magazine. Also in April, NEWSDAYS PARENT & CHILD MAGAZINE, NY will feature my book in the Whats Cool for Kids column. THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE MAGAZINE will be reviewing Springtime in a future issue. SAMS CLUB is coming out with a new parenting magazine this July, and I have been interviewed for their Literacy story.

Irene: Are you and Lauren writing more books together? Kathy: Yes, we are planning more stories about backyard adventures.

Irene: Thank you very much Kathy. Is there anything else that you would like our readers to know about you, your daughter, or your book?

Kathy: Thank you Irene. Please visit my website at; www.springducks.com

Irene Watson is Managing Editor of Reader Views http://www.readerviews.com