Bel Air Author Awarded Moonbeam Children's Book Award

Bel Air MD

18 October, 2021

3:49 PM

Description

D.A. Jennings' book, The Tapping Stick, which celebrates the diversity of trees and children's imaginations as they interact with nature, has been awarded the Silver Medal in the 2021 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards. "Many of us have found refuge in nature during the pandemic, and sometimes just a favorite tree in the backyard brings comfort. In her silver medal-winning The Tapping Stick, D.A. Jennings, brings significance to the simple stick, from various species of trees – with various uses from fishing, to building, to writing," said Jim Barnes, Awards Director. The purpose of the moonbeam Awards is to highlight books that encourage children to be generous, compassionate, and to stand up for the rights of themselves and others. "Creating books that inspire our children to read, to learn, and to dream is an extremely important task," said Barnes. "The Moonbeam Children's Book Awards were conceived to reward those efforts." "For many, the pandemic has brought pain and suffering, and admonitions of don't do this, or don't touch that," said D. A. Jennings, as she reflected on her inspiration for this illustrated book. "For others, circumstances have revealed hope, wonderment, and a path for a better future." Such optimism took root within the author when she walked with her two-year old grandson through a nature trail in Bel Air, Maryland. Nestled along the winding path and towering trees was a set of tubular chimes for young and old adventurers alike. Her grandson eagerly ran to begin his symphony, but Jennings called out to him not to touch the hammers provided and encouraged him to pick up a stick. "After his musical interlude, he kept the stick for the rest of the journey. He tapped it on the gravel path, tree trunks, and large rocks; each time listening for the sound. Within the magic of his curiosity, my imagination grew…and I wondered what else a tapping stick could do," she added. After writing the text D.A. Jennings worked with New York artist and graphic designer, Dan Kane, to bring her vision to fruition. "His illustrations capture the imagination and feeling of being a child again," Jennings said. The diversity of this year's winning publishers proves that promoting childhood literacy knows no boundaries, as medal winners came not only from long-established publishers and university presses, but from small presses and self-published, first-time authors. "When all else is in doubt, the familiarity of a parent and child sharing the joy of reading together is something to cherish, and the Moonbeam Awards were founded to celebrate that notion," stated Jim Barnes in his press release. This year's judges chose gold, silver, and bronze medalists in 45 categories, covering the full range of styles and genres in English and Spanish. The awards attracted nearly 1,500 entries from around the world, and medals will go to authors, illustrators, and publishers from 34 U.S. states, 4 Canadian provinces, and 7 countries overseas. Learn more about The Tapping Stick at dajennings.com Learn more about the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards at MoonbeamAwards.com