We enjoy watching our swans on our small lake in Michigan. One year our swans had only one baby. The baby swam, ate, swam, grew, swam, developed into a beautiful swan, swam, swam, swam... Why wouldn't it fly? Why did it just like to stay in the water? Why was it content to remain when the parents flew south? Were its wings damaged? What would it do when winter came? Why was it SO reluctant? Shirley Neff Shirley has lived in Michigan all her life. She graduated from Central Michigan University with both her B.S. and M.A. degrees. She taught elementary and middle school grades in Sparta, Michigan, for 33 years, and because of her love of sports, coached both high school and middle school girls' basketball. She has enjoyed traveling to many states (some years in a 5th wheel) and to many countries. She has enjoyed seeing God's world.She feels very blessed by God and worships Him at Cedar Springs United Methodist Church.This is her first book. Jacob Koster I am a first time illustrator for a first time author. A daunting task? Not when you have the confidence of the indomitable Shirley Neff behind the request. Additionally, I remembered the advice I freely handed out to my students: "The longest journeys begin with the first step." The illustrations in this book are the result of a first few hesitant steps which eventually became confident strides. Thank you, Shirley, for my new shoes. Before my journey as illustrator, I referred to myself as a ceramic artist and retired school teacher. I taught art K- 12 in the public schools for 32 years.
