Surprise in Auntie's Garden! by Ann Morris

Erin makes a wonderful discovery in her auntie’s garden.

 This beautiful book is a wonderful way to teach children about nature, and the main characters in it are the author and her niece and God-daughter Erin.

Erin and her auntie have shared a special enjoyment of the garden since Erin was a baby, when looking at the lovely flowers settled her.

.A little older now, Erin discovers a ‘worm,’ and quickly calls her auntie over take a look. There sitting on some milkweed is not in fact a worm but a caterpillar, and the milkweed is its food.

Eagerly they look at the bright and colorful caterpillar and wonder which sort is it.

Well, when they look it up, and find out, they are so excited! What’s more, they learn that the milkweed, although a weed in human eyes, is very important to the caterpillar, indeed, the reason it can be so brightly colored, is because it eats it!

As the summer goes on, and autumn sends the butterflies to their winter feeding ground, Erin’s caterpillar remains, yet it has changed into something else.

What could it be, and why isn’t it a butterfly yet?

Well through Erin’s experience, children learn that that circle of life, and evolution can take time. It is the following spring before Erin and her auntie finally watch a beautiful young butterfly emerge and spread its wings for the first time. However the wait is worth it because the butterfly it becomes is one of the most beautiful and well known.

To discover which type it is, you will have to read this beautiful story with its bright and wonderful illustrated by Heather Varkarokas.

I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. I read it with my granddaughter and the look of wonderment on her face was priceless. I am sure it will be a firm favourite for many years to come. Highly recommended.

About the Author:

Ann Morris lived most of her school days in Humboldt, Iowa, USA. She graduated from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, which included over a year of living and studying in Pamplona, Spain, where she attended la Universidad de Navarra.

Morris has loved to write since she was young, inspired by her mother. In different capacities through work and volunteering, she realized that there was a need for healthy learning stories for children that would also have a message for any adult sharing those books with them.

Ms. Morris remains in Iowa, where she has dedicated her talents to writing children’s books in English under the name of Ann Morris and a Spanish version of the same story under her Spanish name of Ana Morris. She also writes poetry and was published as early as ten and twelve years of age through a children’s magazine called Wee Wisdom.

She is equally proficient in English and Spanish and visible in the city of Des Moines, Iowa. She champions various minority causes, especially those that involve education. Her contribution in two languages serves a dual purpose. It provides reading material and positive interaction potential for young readers of each native language and it provides a reading challenge for those learning the other language.

She has participated in many author fairs and readings, has read to and addressed numerous elementary and junior high school students, which she enjoys dearly.

Her ultimate goal is to provide a positive adult role model for a curious child and a learning experience, which may be a learning process or a new outlook for the child in the story.

Mommy and Mikel Go for a Walk/Mikel y Mami dan un paseo was her first pair of books released by AuthorHouse Publishing. It has been republished by Mascot Books and is a wonderful improvement to the original.

Her second pair, illustrated by Heather Varkarotas, was published by Mascot Books. Surprise in Auntie’s Garden!/¡Sorpresa en el jardín de la tía! adheres to the same goal as her first pair.

Her third pair, recently released, Everything Is Different/Todo es distinto is illustrated by Melissa Wright and deals with a young boy from the USA visiting the UK with his father. She has several more books in various stages of drafts, editing, and rewriting the Spanish version.

About the Book:

Surprise in Auntie’s Garden!/¡Sorpresa en el jardín de la tía! is Ms Morris’ most recent publication. The digital illustrations are by Heather Varkarotas, a children’s author in her own right. Auntie ̣(the author) and her niece Erin spend much time observing Auntie’s flower garden. One day, Erin discovers a colorful “worm” in the garden, which turns out to be a Monarch caterpillar. Auntie shows Erin how to use the Internet to learn what the caterpillar is and to see it’s life cycle. It is a book of discovery, of learning, of beauty, of adult-child bonding, and of learning how to find information.

Surprise in Auntie’s garden in available from Amazon in Hardcover https://www.amazon.com/Surprise-Aunties-Garden-Ann-Morris/dp/162086...

and Kindle format https://www.amazon.com/Surprise-Aunties-Garden-Ann-Morris-ebook/dp/...

and Barnes & Noble in Hardcover https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/surprise-in-aunties-garden-ann-mor...

and as a NOOK Book https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/surprise-in-aunties-garden-ann-mor...

HERE IS THE SPANISH VERSION:

Surprise in Auntie’s Garden!

Este libro bello presenta una manera magnífica de enseñarles a niños sobre la naturaleza, y los protagonistas principales del libro son la autora y su sobrina y ahijada, Erin.

Erin y su tía comparten un gusto especial del jardín desde que Erin era bebé, cuando al mirar las flores bonitas le calmaba.

Un poco mayor ya, Erin descubre un «gusano», y rápidamente llama a su tía para que lo vea. Allá en el algodoncillo hay, no un gusano sino en realidad una oruga, y el algodoncillo es su comida.

Con curiosidad, miran la oruga de colores vivos y se preguntan ¿a ver qué tipo será?

Bueno, cuando lo buscan y se enteran, ¡se quedan entusiasmadas! Aún más, aprenden que el algodoncillo, aunque sea hierba mala del punto de vista de los humanos, es muy importante para la oruga, hasta ¡el hecho de que pueda ser de tantos colores vivos, porque lo come!

Al pasar el verano, y el otoño les manda a las mariposas a su tierra invernal de comer, la oruga de Erin se queda, aunque se ha cambiado en otra cosa.

¿Qué pudiera ser? y ¿Por qué no es mariposa ya?

Bueno, por la experiencia de Erin, los niños aprenden que el círculo de la vida, y la evolución cuestan tiempo. Es la primavera siguiente antes de que Erin y su tía por fin observan que una mariposa hermosa emerge y se extiende las alas por la primera vez. De todos modos, la espera merece la pena, pues la mariposa que sale es una de las más bellas y bien conocidas.

Para descubrir qué tipo es, tendrás que leer este cuento bonito con los dibujos estupendos y de colores vivos de Heather Varkarokas.

Recibí una copia de este libro de la autora de intercambio por una crítica sincera. La leí con mi nieta y fue de lo que no se puede expresar la mirada de maravilla que apareció en su cara. Estoy segura de que será favorito definitivamente durante los muchos años que llegan. Altamente recomendido.

Amazon.es Tapa dura https://www.amazon.es/Surprise-Aunties-Garden-Ann-Morris/dp/1620862...

Kindle https://www.amazon.es/Surprise-Aunties-Garden-English-Morris-ebook/...