"Dashing through the forest, with starlight at her heels," Running Flower is a testament of courage, loyalty, and sacrifice. You will remember her story whenever you see delicate pink and white lady's slippers carpeting the ground of a northern forest. Add The Legend of the Lady's Slipper to your collection and let it enchant you for years to come.
Kathy-jo Wargin: As the author of many poems and stories for children, Kathy-jo Wargin aims to help young readers notice the most intricate details of a story by adding the nuances that create magic and wonder in a good tale.
Kathy-jo Wargin (Nelson) was born in Tower, Minnesota and moved to Grand Rapids at the age of seven, where she attended and graduated from Grand Rapids Senior High School in 1983. Her love of music took her to the University of Minnesota-Duluth to study music composition.
Her transition to writing books was a natural step, and in each story, her goal is to make the words carry a rhythm, just as if they were written for a musical piece. As well, her love for children and her desire to expose them to vivid written descriptions, inspire her to write with great attention to the nuances of a story, opening their minds to see all the possibilities in a scene or situation.
Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen: The art of Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen captures his lifelong connection to nature and wildlife. Brimming with passionate details and brilliant color, his paintings have been published in several books. His talent for mural painting can be seen in several museums, including Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, Michigan.
Born in the Netherlands, Gijsbert studied at the Royal Academy of Arts in Holland and immigrated to the United States in 1976. In 1993, after 17 years as the Art Director for the Michigan Natural Resources Magazine, he ventured out on his own as an artist and educator.
His highest professional achievement comes from being selected numerous times into the internationally renowned Leigh Yawkey Woodson Birds in Art exhibition, held in Wisconsin. Traveling to schools in the Midwest, Gijsbert shares his love of painting and wildlife rehabilitation. Gijsbert and his wife Robbyn, give nature tours at their home outside Lansing, Michigan where they live with their two daughters, Kelly and Heather.
