From a small church stage to a thriving community theater, Scott has spent more than three decades bringing musicals and dramas to life, inspiring thousands with his faith-driven storytelling.
REDLANDS, Calif. — The Frugal Frigate Bookstore will host the launch of Alpaca Poe and Cricket, the latest children's book by local author and educator Susan Cortz, at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 15.
The book, the second in The Adventures of Alpaca Poe series, is designed for children ages 5 to 8 and promotes critical thinking skills through rhyme, engaging characters and relatable social situations. A special guest, Cricket, the Great Pyrenees who inspired the story, will be present to meet attendees.
"In a world filled with misinformation and bias, fostering critical thinking in young readers has never been more important," Cortz wrote in a Feb. 21 press release.
The story follows the arrival of Cricket at Humming Oaks Farm, where a group of alpacas—who have never met a dog before—quickly label her as dangerous and unclean based on hearsay. However, young Poe, the alpaca protagonist, questions the assumptions and embarks on a journey to discover the truth for himself.
Cortz’s husband, Jamie Cortz, illustrated the book using a combination of acrylic paint on watercolor paper and digital art. A career educator himself, he also founded Readers Rising, a Redlands-based nonprofit that promotes early childhood literacy. At the book launch, he will lead an interactive demonstration of his artistic process.
While the real Alpaca Poe will remain at Humming Oaks, alpaca yarn made from his fiber will be available for purchase at the event through Hands On Knitting Center in Redlands.
Alpaca Poe and Cricket will be released on March 8 and will be available at the Frugal Frigate, BarnesandNoble.com, Amazon and other online retailers. Proceeds from the book sales will be donated to animal welfare organizations.
This article was written based on a Feb. 21 press release from the author.
