Courtesy of Francine Dingeman
Saratoga Springs author Francine Dingeman is celebrating the one-year publication anniversary of her book, The Animal Menagerie: A Curious Collection of A to Z Animal Tales, with an award of literary distinction.
On November 9, Dingeman was awarded the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award silver medal in the category of Learning Order (Alphabet/Counting Books) by the Jenkins Group of Traverse City, Michigan. Since 2006, The Jenkins Group has been celebrating authors, illustrators, and publishers from around the world for their creation of inspiring and imaginative works for young readers. They recognize these works for the role they play in fostering a lifelong passion for reading and learning.
The Animal Menagerie, written by Dingeman and illustrated by Marta Maszkiewicz, is an enchanting A to Z picture book filled with captivating characters from the animal kingdom for children ages 4-7. The book is written to entertain and educate by introducing dozens of creative new words into a child’s vocabulary. Each letter of the alphabet comes to life with vibrant illustrations and story vignettes, making early literacy development a delightful adventure.
A first-time author, Dingeman is passionate about the art of rhyme and the creative use of words. She is a firm believer in speaking to children with vocabulary that encourages them to reach toward advanced levels of literacy and comprehension.
Since receiving the award, her book has gone into a First Edition, Second Printing and is available for $21.99 in a variety of local Saratoga shops such as Saratoga Outdoors, G. Willikers, Celtic Treasures, Impressions of Saratoga, The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Gift Shop, and at Accents at Allerdice in Malta, and Play Hollow in Ballston Spa. The Animal Menagerie is also available at the Book Cabin in Lake George, The Sagamore Emporium at the Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing, The Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne, Vermont, and at The Burgee Shop at Ocean Reef in Key Largo, Florida. In addition, you can find The Animal Menagerie online at FrancineDingeman.com.