Walter C Kilgus – författare

Bess watched the sparks as they floated silently into the air while Emma poked at the bonfire with her stick. Grandpa and the girls had been walking in the Great Woods on this crisp fall afternoon and he had promised that they could sit by the fire until dark. Colored leaves fell gently to the forest floor and the sounds of the animals could be heard all around them. Occasionally they caught a glimpse of Daniel Deer peering at them through the trees. Olivia Owl settled onto a branch in a twisted locust tree and watched the girls with her big round eyes.

This is the second book in the Great Woods Books series. In the first story, the authors granddaughter, Emma, accompanied by the familys Old English sheepdog, Chaucer, explores the Great Woods, meets the woodland animals, and comes face to face with a wild boar. In this book, Emmas little sister, Bess, discovers the Rock Creek that flows through the Great Woods and has her own adventure. The animals from the Great Woods are back again, along with some new ones that Bess encounters along the way. Craig Howarth, from Durban South Africa, who has illustrated over fifty books, including many childrens stories, has once again provided the marvelous illustrations. The author and grandfather of Emma and Bess practices law in Northern Illinois, and lives with his wife Joann at the edge ofthe Great Woods.

Visit the author''s website at http://www.greatwoodsbooks.comThe idea for Emma and the Wild Boar began in the winter of 2003, when the author and his wife were visiting the Christmas markets in Germany. While in Leipzig the author purchased a small stuffed animal in the shape of a wild boar as a Christmas gift for his one-year-old granddaughter, Emma. In an effort to make the gift more interesting the author created a story about the wild boar and both were given to Emma at Christmas that year.Emma seemed to approve of the wild boar and the story, so it was decided to create a book to share with other children. With the help of Craig Howarth, whose wonderful illustrations bring the story to life, the book you are now holding in your hands was born.All of the characters in the book, with the exception of the wild boar are real members of Emmas family, Chaucer was the most recent sheepdog owned by the family, Uncle Adam has written Emma the song referred to in the book, and Grandma lives in the House surrounded by the Great WoodsEmma now has a baby sister Bess, and it is hoped that more stories about the adventures of Emma and Bess will appear in the future.The illustrator Craig Howarth is an architect by training but an illustrator, painter and photographer by profession. He has illustrated a number of childrens books. Craig lives and works in Durban South Africa. Grandpa Wally is a practicing attorney, and lives with Grandma, in the house in the Great Woods in northern Illinois.

The fifth book in the Great Woods Books series features the author'sgrandson Arthur, who like his cousins Emma and Bess and older brotherMartin before him ventures into the Great Woods with Grandma'ssheepdog Chaucer. They discover that little Beulah Bear is once againin trouble, having fallen over a cliff at the Rock Creek. Arthur knows his Grandfather, who climbed mountains with his father,kept climbing ropes in his house. Arthur goes to get one and instructsChaucer to alert the woodland animals. With the help of the animals Arthur is able to save Beulah. Craig Howarth who has illustrated all the books once again provides thewonderful artwork. The author, Arthur's grandfather lives with his wife Joann at the edge ofthe Great Woods.