Fourteen years ago, Carol started thinking about writing a children’s book. Soon Marvin the Magnificent Nubian Goat arrived on our doorstep. This is a charming memoir, beautifully illustrated by Michael Harrell, about the children, cows, horses, chickens, peacocks, turkeys, cats, dogs, and —of course— Marvin, the adorable pet goat—that Carol and her husband Ed raised on Moore Farm, just outside of Tallahassee. This was followed, in short order, by Busy Bumble Bee Rides the Waves, set at St. Teresa Beach, and Ruby Kate’s Scrumptious Tea Cake Party, set on St. James Island, the land mass bordered by Ochlockonee Bay, the Crooked River, the Carrabelle River, and the Gulf of Mexico. Papa Mole takes place in the Apalachicola National Forest, and brings together characters from the three earlier books.
All four books are delightful to read aloud, fun to look at (a la The Wind in the Willows, Harrell depicts beavers in bib overalls, indigo snakes sporting cravats, and black bears in party frocks), and jam-packed with information on topics as diverse as the natural history of the local white squirrel, traditional uses for saw palmetto berries, loggerhead turtle conservation, and proper tea party etiquette. Copies are included in the Florida Governor’s Mansion Library, where they are enjoyed by visiting children and adults.
The Moore’s divide their time between Tallahassee and St. Teresa Beach in Franklin County
