WE’VE GONE TO PRINT!
That’s the big news.
Our soon-to-be-published children’s book “Close Encounters With The Great Blue Heron,” which has been in the works for more than a year, is finally coming to fruition.
Publication date: November 18- just in time for the holidays. We are tickled pink…or perhaps BLUE.
Orders now being accepted: https://www.luckyrabbitpublishing.com/products/close-encounters-with-the-great-blue-heron-presale-releases-november-18-2026
I connected just now with Gabriel, my digital designer (in Brazil) and my publisher Annette (in Mexico) while we reviewed each of the pages of the book methodically. We made several small changes and talked in length about how well the captions compliment the images.
This image (above) is from the beginning of the book where we make note that the Great Blue Heron can be found in each of the 50 states.
We are also appreciative of those who have already reviewed the book. It goes to print soon and will be widely available when it releases November 17, perfect timing for those considering purchases for the holidays. Stay tuned.
I AM SO EXCITED to continue working with my partner/collaborators on the children’s photo book about the Great Blue Heron. Recently we met to methodically review each page. Publisher Annette Flavel ensures the copy is appropriate for the intended audience. And illustrator/designer Gabriel De La Torre refines each page.
Publication date: November 2026
www.greatblueherons.com
Writing this book has involved collaboration. First there is the publisher.
Annette Flavel of Lucky Rabbit Publishing has vast experience in the education publishing world, and I really admire her expertise and recommendations.
Next, there is the digital designer. Gabriel De La Torre has taken my photography and enhanced it with many additions.
I am truly enjoying watching this book become a reality.
In the meantime, the book is available for pre-orders and I have been reaching out to nature shops and other organizations who I think would be interested in having it in their shops.
More to come soon.
A Zoom meeting with my publisher and graphic designer today really got me excited about how my photos will be incorporated alongside important facts and statistics. Our graphic designer showed off his ideas, covering about half of the book.
For more than 20 years, I’ve been following this bird, mostly in and around Columbia, South Carolina. What’s interesting is that Great Blue Herons can be found in all 50 states!
The book will be published November 3, 2026 – just in time for holiday purchases.
Stay tuned.
We have a cover!
The book we have been working on is scheduled to be published in November, and recently we’ve been talking about “what should the cover look like”? With so many photos to choose from, it can be a challenge.
I was not expecting to have a cover image this soon, but representatives from the SC Association of School Librarians requested one, because I am scheduled to be on a panel with other children’s authors during SCASL’s annual conference this coming March in Columbia SC.
So a request was made and our graphic designer Gabriel De La Torre came through. So here it is! The cover features a close-up of a Great Blue Heron with a small Shad in its beak. The small illustrated Heron in the upper right-hand corner announces: “Includes 40+ full color wildlife photographs.”
To say we are excited would be an understatement.
How do you select the appropriate images for a new book? (Especially when you have literally thousands from years of nature photography.)
For me, it involves locating ones I think will engage the reader AND be both interesting and informative.
Like this one: a Great Blue Heron, photographed at a high shutter speed, stabs at something in the pond waters.
If this is the first time you’re reading our blog, here’s some background: we are excited to be working with Annette Flavel and Columbia-based children’s book publisher, Lucky Rabbit Books.
We had approached her with the idea of publishing a book about the Great Blue Heron, featuring photographs that I have taken in the 20+ years that I’ve been following this very interesting wading bird. She was most receptive and offered me a contract and connected me with an excellent graphic designer.
This afternoon, we met to continue crafting and designing what the book will look like. The news is the book is now scheduled to be published in the Fall of 2026 (approximately one year from now). This is pleasing to me as it will be available for those who may be interested in buying the book for the holidays.
STAY TUNED
All of the photographs in the new book are ones I took in my journey following the Great Blue Heron over 25 years of so.
Except one. It is a photo taken by a camera mounted on a tree adjacent to a Great Blue Heron nest, showing an adult bird keeping watch over unhatched eggs. I located the image on a website run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
To seek permission to republish this image, I wrote to a contact at Cornell. After doing some research, they informed me that the image came from one of their BIRD CAMS—an initiative in which cameras are mounted near many different kinds of bird nests.
So in order for me to use their image, I must secure their permission. And getting permission is not always easy or fast. We are patient and we are hopeful we can use this image in our book.
Stand by for more news.
This morning, I met via ZOOM with my publisher and our illustrator/designer.
I had the chance to see some ideas Gabriel had already mocked up featuring several of my photos. He agreed with me that the pictures would be the centerpiece of each page, with descriptive words or captions where necessary.
A shared folder allows me to post not only photos for the book, but also ideas.
One idea that we discussed was the idea of placing a QR code on a page which would take the reader to a video. Other ideas included the possibility of a crossword puzzle and an interactive photo activity.
To say I am excited about the prospect of this book would be an understatement!