Wisconsin resident publishes children’s book, ‘Follow Me Into the Woods’

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    Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin (WiscNews) — AWisconsin Dells resident recently published her latest children’s book, which she plans to make into a series.

Amy Laundrie recently published, “Follow Me Into the Woods,” which teaches children its OK to be afraid of things or situations at first.

“It’s like the first time we’ve tried water skiing and it was scary but then as you get used to it you start to enjoy it,” Laundrie said, providing an example of what “Follow Me Into the Woods” is about. “That is kind of the theme of the book.”

The book is for children ages 6 to 8 years old and is Laundrie’s ninth book overall and the first picture book she’s published, she said.

The book features Paris, a young girl from the city, who is reluctant to go on a hike in the woods with her cousin, Oliver, until she meets a friendly chickadee. Laundrie said the inspiration for her latest book came when she was horseback riding. Before she entered a wooded area to continue her journey, a mother-daughter duo from Chicago driving by stopped their car and asked to see her horse since her young daughter had never seen one before.

The memory stuck with Laundrie as she wrote “Follow Me Into the Woods” and like her other books, was also inspired by her love of nature and being outdoors.

“Follow Me Into the Woods,” will be succeeded by two other books featuring the same characters. Paris and Oliver will follow a Luna moth into the woods and continue their adventures as they meet several nocturnal animals in a sequel “Follow Me Into the Night.” The third book, “Follow Me Onto the Bog,” follows Paris and Oliver on an adventure with their great-grandfather around a northern Wisconsin bog and learn about finding certain nature elements. She estimates both books will be published in about another year.

Laundrie said she enjoys writing to share her stories and connect with people. She’s lived in the Wisconsin Dells since 1975 and was a fourth grade teacher at Lake Delton Elementary School for over 30 years. A writer of almost 40 years, she’s written “Whinny of the Wild Horses,” “Noah’s Ark Pet Care Club” and has a series of five books called the Kayla Montgomery series. Besides children’s books, Laundrie has written an adult memoir “Laugh, Cry, Reflect: Stories from a Joyful Heart,” which includes her favorite newspaper columns. Those books are also available for purchase on Amazon and her website. She also has a regular column published in Capital Newspapers.

“Follow Me Into the Woods” is available through Amazon, Pen It! Publications, Barnes and Noble, bookshop.org and other sites that are linked from her website, laundrie.com. Reedsburg Office Supplies also carries the book, she said. Profits from the book will help support organizations like the Ice Age Trail, Camp Wawbeek Easter Seals and the Aldo Leopold Foundation.

Laundrie’s website also involves activities to go along with “Follow Me Into the Woods,” like a word search, a maze and a crossword puzzle at laundrie.com/teachers. She also rewrote the book as a play for teachers or parents to conduct a reader’s theater and even has instructions on how to make paper plate masks for the characters, she said. Those items are available for free.

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