Teresa Henryka Panjer |
Yazmeenka Goes Electric by Teresa Henryka Panjer Once Yazmeenka gets her heart’s desire, she can think of little else but her guitar. With her life taking a downward spiral, sadly so does her music. Only she can come up with a plan that works for her. When she does, her family notices that she is truly happy, and her musical creativity sounds wonderful too. Her life takes on a new meaning when everyone sees Yazmeenka go electric. |
About the Author and Illustrator of “Yazmeenka Goes Electric” As a child, I enjoyed listening to my mother’s story telling of fairy tales, and poetry. Nature, and the outdoors were important to me while growing up, and the visits to my uncle’s farm. There was the pond filled with wild turtles, frogs, tadpoles. There were the butterflies, dragonflies, and birds that never escaped my attention. The occasional meaty spider sunning on a dew laden web was quite interesting. The neighborhood’s children often got together to play outdoor games, some came with pet dogs. In the winter we went skating on the pond, and sledding. It was always fun to curl up with a book at home and read poetry, and stories that I could relate to. I enjoyed writing about the animals in my environment, and in my teens, I wrote to grateful friends who often commented that they found my letters interesting, and they always wrote back. My story writing hobby gradually increased over time. Something would inspire me, and there was always a story to write. Some years later, at the University of Windsor, Ontario, I received a degree in Social Science, and continued my education in Teacher’s College to receive a degree in Education. During this time I met a wonderful man. We had a daughter, and being our only child, we made sure she was always busy enjoying the Arts. She earned a black belt in Karate. She took singing, piano, and performed at recitals, and festivals. She was in the York Region Children’s Chorus for years, and traveled to Wales as well as British Columbia to perform at music festivals there. On her own she was composing songs, and writing lyrics. She taught herself how to play the guitar, and performed her own composition at her school’s theatre. Whenever she had spare time, she’d be seen drawing. Later on she enrolled at Max the Mutt’s School of Animation and Design to learn Story Boarding, and to become a better artist. Erin and I teamed up to produce “Yazmeenka Goes Electric”. The book is a must read for any young reader who knows what it is like to enjoy something too much, so that it takes precedence over all the other important things in daily life. Yazmeenka models what can happen when things get neglected. She also models how to reflect on past events, and makes adjustments. With her parent’s guidance she methodically works things out. This sets the stage for a wonderful surprise performance. Erin made Yazmeenka jump off the page to life in “Yazmeenka Goes Electric”. She is a wonderfully talented artist, and illustrator, who brought out the comical side of these characters in visually pleasing, fun, and innovative ways. We both look forward to working on another project together sometime down the road. |
When Reindeer Fly by Teresa Henryka Panjer Christmas is approaching, and young Ashur is bursting with excitement. His imagination runs away with him, then he experiences magic that is truly out - of - this - world. Hardly able to sleep on that special night, he writes about his fantastic journey in his Holiday Journal. BUCKLE-UP as he takes you on this wild ride, when the reindeer fly! |