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Mark Larson
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Two decades later, at the prompting of his wife and stepchildren, the Armstrong-Ringstead Community School art teacher has placed the "favorite" story requested so many times before on paper and illustrated it with colored pencils.
"It was a story they wanted to hear all the time. I finally decided to write it and put it on paper," said the newly-minted author and illustrator of "The Adventures of Pinky, the Pink Flamingo."
Raised in Mallard, Larson earned a degree in art, along with a minor in journalism, from Wayne State College. The 18-year teacher opted to combine the two in this 24-page enterprise about Pinky the Pink Flamingo and his friends -- a turtle, duck, pelican and frog.
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| (Graphic submitted) Mark Larson, an art teacher at Armstrong-Ringsted Community School District, has authored and illustrated "The Adventures of Pinky, the Pink Flamingo." |
As the fictional friends travel around their lagoon and ask the other animals why pink flamingos stand on one leg, the team leader becomes disappointed when none can answer the question.
"But he looks around the bend, and there are thousands and thousands of pink flamingos standing on one leg," Larson revealed. "Pinky finally realizes that he's not the only pink flamingo who stands on one leg -- and he becomes happy."
Larson, 50, explained it took him between two and three months to couple the book's text and illustrations before submitting it to PublishAmerica. The late Carl Larson, his paternal grandfather who also painted and wrote a book 30 years ago about a squirrel, served as an inspiration for writing "The Adventures of Pinky, the Pink Flamingo," Larson added.
"I am going to do another book, and I'm going to do it on the same character," the new author hinted. "Eventually, I would like to do different books because I think it's fun and exciting."
Larson's advice to others contemplating writing a book: "Just go ahead and do it!"
* Copies of Larson's soft cover book "The Adventures of Pinky, the Pink Flamingo" are available online at www.publishamerica.com.
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Loved this article! A friend of mine from Spencer sent the link to me! We lived in Spencer for 7 years. I love Children's books and just wrote my first called "Percy and His Family." A squirrel family that lived in the backyard of a people family. It is on teaching the small child Biblical Principles and this one was on Obedience. I am in the process of writing the next one on KINDNESS. I loved your comment, "Just go ahead and do it!" I have always written, "Writers write. If you want to be a writer, write!" I am sure someone else came up with that, but it fits.
I am very interested in your book and it sounds delightful!
Peg