Traveling With Genie and Me - Book 2

About the Book

Traveling With Genie and Me: Book 2 is a continuation of the spiritual, whimsical adventures told in Book 1. It is a series of 23 pages of fun-to-read illustrated verses that focus on certain magical aspects of the natural world. It begins with a walk on an ocean beach leading to interactions with wetlands, seahorses, mermaid-manatees, dolphins and whales. From the beach to a park brook to discover something special in fish, bees, spiders, bats, dragonflies, butterflies, inchworms (nature's hot dogs), trees and land. It continues by allowing a family of cranes, a hooting owl and a rapping snake to bring out aspects of environmental degradation and the reader's relationship toward it. Finally, Genie emphasizes that the most magical force of all lies between our two ears and the magical power the reader has to do wonderful things by being nice, studying, working and living by the Golden Rule.

About the Author

Traveling with Genie and Me has been a team effort led by the author Anthony S. Taormina in conjunction with sister Jonita Taomina, who developed the sketches, and cousin Nicholas Chiaro, who produced the colorful computer assisted graphics. A.S. Taormina, born in Brooklyn N.Y. in 1927, grew up on family fruit and dairy farms in Claverack, N.Y. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II both in Europe and the Philippines, before completing degrees in Forest And Wildlife Management form the N.Y. State Conservation Department (later Dept. of Environmental Conservation) in various fish, wildlife, marine and environmental capacities throughout the state until retirement in 1982; at which time he joined the consulting form of Dan Natchez and Associates form Mamaroneck, N.Y. as an Environmental Analyst. Tony has been married since 1970 to the former Mary Louise Beck from Claverack and has two sons, Lee and Jason. While picking apples on October 2002 with son Jason, Tony suffered a cerebral vascular accident (stroke). Since then, no longer able to walk freely or use his left hand, and thanks to the loving care from wife, sister and test of family, he has been able to spend time writing various material including Traveling with Genie and Me in 2005. Prior to the CVA, he wrote many environmental essays and taught various environmental courses. He now lives in Florida. Jonita was born in Claverack, N.Y. in 1946. After receiving a Liberal Arts degree form Atlantic University, she managed Walden bookstores in Hollywood, Florida and Roanoke, Virginia. Later she became a flight attendant, retiring from U. S. Air to become a freelance artist (a.k.a. Jonie Baloni) while working from her Blue Ridge Mountain home at 5339 12 o'clock Knob, Roanoke, VA 24018 phone: 540-774-9321. Nicholas Chiaro was born in Hudson N.Y. in 1983 and graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2005, which included a year of study in Italy. Helping to design and produce the computer-assisted graphics has been Nick's first job while working from his home at 71 Hemlock St. Valatie, NY 12184 Phone: 518-758-7991.