#A Fun Family Outing
Jacksonville is covered with all kinds of cool animal statues – jaguars, turtles, manatees and more! It can be really exciting when you spot one "out in the wild."
While running to see a big blue statue of a manatee, three-year-old James was so excited that he got stuck in the mud and needed to be rescued by his grandmother. Hear this fun, true story with local author Ruth Lewis!
A limited number of copies of Stuck in the Mud will be given away to participants (first come, first served).
JOIN
Ruth will read her book and talk about family outings, real-life manatees, and more at a Junior Lit Chat author talk and book giveaway on Friday, August 4, from 11-11:30 a.m. live at the Beaches Branch Library!
Please note: This event is intended for kids ages 5-12 and their families.
Register to attend!
Ruth Vandenbergh Lewis is a native of Albany, NY. She has lived in Jacksonville, North Florida since 2011 and moved to Atlantic Beach in 2018. She is a widow with two grown children, six grandchildren, and her little dog Porsche, featured in this book.
The cosmic blue “Sea-Lestial-Mooon-A-Tee,” which is featured in the 2022 children’s book, Stuck in the Mud, is a real-life fiberglass sculpture by artist Paul Ladnier. You can find it at Jack Russell Park (800 Seminole Road). Ladnier selected the moniker as a play on “celestial manatee."
It was auctioned and acquired by the City of Atlantic Beach in 2005 as part of the Otis White Kids Foundation Sea Cows for Kids project, which decorated streets and parks with dozens of colorful manatee statues. Sally Corp. had a key role in the project and in 2017, Sally’s Ric Hostetter repaired, overhauled and repainted the sculpture. Which is why it still looks so good today!
Click here for more information about the sculpture.
READ
Check out Stuck in the Mud from our catalog!
THE LIBRARY RECOMMENDS
Other cute picture books about manatees and exploration:
- This is a Sea Cow by Cassandra Federman
- Owen at the Park by Scot Ritchie
- Slow Down for Manatees by Jim Arnosky
- Hello by Fiona Woodcock
- Never Follow a Dinosaur by Alex Latimer
