Dana D WandDANA WAND has written and published award-winning short stories, poems and tall tales for and about children. Some explore the world of fairies, dragons, ghosts and pets, with humor and good-natured fun. She lives in a log cabin nestled among pines a the foot of the Cascade range in Oregon. Her daily visitors are wildlife such as squirrels, deer, coyotes, eagles, and osprey. As a child, she was fortunate to live in Florida and have a pet squirrel monkey named Harry, who loved to eat open-faced peanut butter sandwiches and climb orange trees with her. Now she has a chocolate brown doxie named Buster who makes her laugh. His favorite stuffed animal is Miss Kitty, who is as big as him and he carries her around the cabin, takes her for walks outside, and refuses to to to bed at night without her. He also introduces her when company comes. But don't expect him to share her. You can look, but don't touch. Some of her stories are set in rhyme, which she feels makes it easy for youngsters to anticipate the next line, and this is one way they begin to learn to read by recognizing the words ending the sentences or line. When children begin to read, it opens up a wonderful world that they can safely get lost in. Read More Read Less