At One: In a Place Called Maine

by Lynn Plourde, Leslie Mansmann (Illustrator)

At One: In a Place Called Maine is a love letter to the state of Maine, lyrically and graphically celebrating its inspirational beauty from the wilds of Baxter State Park to the crashing waves of the Atlantic. All of the scenes featured in At One were inspired by award-winning author Lynn Plourde's experiences, including a visit by twin fawns to her backyard, a hike up Mount Katahdin, cross-country skiing by moonlight, and an encounter with a bear while camping. At One, illustrated by Leslie Mansmann, is sure to become a classic picture book for those who either live in Maine or wish they did.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books

130 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

I write kids' books--talk about a FUN job! I worked for 21 years as a speech-language therapist in Maine schools. When I got married, I got 3 & 4-year-old stepsons as part of my ready-made family. I read the boys picture books at bedtime. They fell asleep after 2 or 3 books, but I kept reading stacks and stacks of picture books and started to dream . . . maybe I could write picture books. I was already writing educational books (listening & speaking ideas for the classroom), but PICTURE BOOKS--that was different!

Different, and sloooooow! I had 13 years of rejections before getting my first book published, Pigs in the Mud in the Middle of the Rud, and I still get more rejections than acceptances--even after having more than 40 books published. So I'm still an author-in-training--learning to be a better author all the time.

I LOVE writing, the whole creative process. I also LOVE sharing my books with kids at schools: doing interactive readings, turning one of my books into a play, and teaching students how to plan and write different kinds of stories (i.e. problem stories, character stories, graphic novel scenes, fables) modeled after my books.

I love to try new kinds of writing such as poetic stories, a biography, a graphic novel, and more. Writing new kinds of stories is a challenge, but it makes writing fun and keeps me interested in the process.

Reviews

[Maureen]

There couldn’t be a picture book that would touch my heart more. I was born in Maine and happily spent all my childhood summers there. The beautiful words and pictures evoked wonderful memories and deep connections.

[Stacey]

Made me ask an important question: Why do I live in West Texas?

[Barb]

would make great gifts for appreciating Maine

[Lynn]

A must read for anyone with connections to the outdoors of Maine!

[Chena Bean]

Poetry - Realistic Fiction