The Adventures of Captain Cutie Pie and Deputy Boo

Book excerpt: The series "The Adventures of Captain Cutie Pie and Deputy Boo" was inspired by real animals that live in and around Marshall Township, Pennsylvania. The heroes of the stories are an unlikely pair. Bubba, a.k.a. Captain Cutie Pie, is a black cat while Boo is a miniature parrot called a parrotlet. In each story Bubba and Boo are joined by a variety of neighboring animals including a groundhog, a great blue heron, goats, pigs, llamas, longhorn cattle and an emu. As mentioned, these are all real animals that live in or near Marshall Township. The first book, "Exploring their New Neighborhood," is based on a true story about a beaver dam and pool that the authors heard when they first moved to Marshall Township. In this story, Bubba and Boo explore their new neighborhood in search of the shy and reclusive beaver because they had never met a beaver before. Along the way they meet a lot of new friends. When they finally get to meet the beaver, they assist her with a problem that she has not been able to manage on her own. Once the problem is solved, the beaver, with great appreciation, nicknames our heroes "Captain Cutie Pie and Deputy Boo." From then on, Bubba and Boo continue to help solve problems and answer questions in the neighborhood while learning important lessons that benefit and strengthen the community. Future book subjects include being afraid, the value of diversity, reasons for lying, jumping to conclusions and responsibilities. Every book is intended to be thoughtful, a little bit educational and a whole lot of fun.