A few years ago, MBC and I were invited to do a presentation about the Bluebonnet Armadillo Adventure series at a meeting of the Franklin County Historical Association (FCHA) in Mount Vernon, Texas. This gathering of fine folk who help preserve the historical sites of their town all agreed it should be the site of my next adventure.
A formal commission was received from FCHA and fortunately for MBC, she lives in Sulphur Springs, only 20 miles away from Mount Vernon. So the visits and research began! Illustrator Benjamin Vincent also joined us for a tour.
In our visit to Daphne Prairie outside the town of Mount Vernon, we learned that short-eared owls can often be seen searching for supper. We also saw the mima mounds (large, circular domelike mounds made of differing soils) which local lore says were created by glyptodonts, a pre-historic cousin of the armadillo.
So the story begins on the Daphne Prairie, where I meet Dandy Don, a short-eared owl named for Mount Vernon’s favorite native son, the late Don Meredith. We take a night-time tour of historical sites, including pre-World War I homes, the Fire Station Museum, featuring the Don Meredith collection and the Nations Family Bird Egg Collection; the Cotton Belt Depot, The Bankhead Highway Trails and Visitor Center, Dupree Park Nature Preserve, Franklin County Courthouse, raised town plaza, and Majors-Parchman house.
All along the tour, sounds and shadows suggest that someone has secretly joined us. Who is this mysterious follower? (Hint: one of the historical sites was originally a farm and still has a chicken house in the yard!) Readers will delight in searching for clues. The picture book provides an entertaining and educational story for young readers, with additional information about each historical site provided for older readers.
This is the first of the ten books in the series to feature additional information about each historical site. MBC and I think this could start a trend!
The books are available for purchase at:
http://wildhorsestore-com.3dcartstores.com/bluebonnet-visits-mount-vernon-texas.html
We hope you enjoy this tenth adventure about my Texas travels! And we encourage you to plan a visit to Mount Vernon soon!
Bluebonnet Armadillo
