HomeFront PageNew Children’s Book by...

New Children’s Book by Ormewood Park Neighbor

By Melanie Regnier

In Paul Schwartz’s new children’s book, Why DIDN’T the Chicken Cross the Road?, it does look pretty great on the other side. The popsicle stand is open. A game of duck-duck-goose is under way. Bunnies and other fun-loving creatures ride bikes and play in the lush grass. A yellow hen with a red balloon waits patiently. So what’s the hold up?

Schwartz, an Ormewood Park resident, musician, and environmental lawyer, started painting when his band needed some artwork for their CD cover. Schwartz thought he would give it a try. Encouraged by the feedback from friends and family, he created paintings of “humanized bunny rabbits” in family scenes, some of which were auctioned off at a local school fundraiser. People started suggesting that he write and illustrate a children’s book.

Why DIDN’T the Chicken Cross the Road? grew from the Schwartz family’s experience caring for their backyard flock. After years of begging and persuasive essay-writing, Schwartz’s daughter Violet finally got her wish when she woke up on Christmas morning, 2012, and found baby chicks in the bathtub. Inspired by their unique personalities, Schwartz started painting the chickens, and a story developed. Painting with acrylics on thin plywood sheets, he completed 19 paintings over the next five years.

“One of the greatest parenting experiences is sitting with your child in your lap, reading a book,” says Schwartz. He found himself thinking of all the books he read with his children, adding visual references to some of his favorites as he painted, elements that he hoped would engage the reader and provide continuity from page to page.

Schwartz hesitates to call himself an artist, but says “folk artist” feels about right. His paintings, vibrant and whimsical, feature characters that you want to get to know. Schwartz describes himself as “the worrier chicken” in the family, dubbed “Mr. Safety” by his children, and personified by the father chicken character in the story.

The pandemic has delayed the publicity that Schwartz was hoping for, but he plans to have a launch party, with music, as soon as it is feasible. Meanwhile, you can visit the book’s Facebook page, which features original songs, including “Chickens are People,Too”. Why DIDN’T the Chicken Cross the Road? is available online via bookshop.org and other digital sellers.

Recent

AdvertisementAd for Cuong Nhu Martial Arts, Sung Ming Shu | 465 Boulevard S.E. Atlanta, GA 30312 Suite 202A | 404-525-4707 | sungmingshu@gmail.com
AdvertisementAd for Kawata Piano Studio, phone 617-767-9176, web: https://www.kawatapianostudio.com

More from Author

Calendar March-April 2023

CALENDAR Community Meetings GPNA (Grant Park Neighborhood Association). 3rd Tuesday of every month, 7:30pm-9:00pm....

Southeastern Trust for Parks and Land Acquires Conservation Easement

By Amanda Leesburg Southeastern Trust for Parks and Land (SE Trust), a...

Spring Blooms at Oakland with Family-Friendly Events!

Visitors enjoying last year's Illumine event Photo courtesy of Historic Oakland Foundation By...

EAV Farmer’s Market Springing Back

By Katie Kriner East Atlanta Village (EAV) Farmers Market is a-springin' back...

Read Now

Calendar March-April 2023

CALENDAR Community Meetings GPNA (Grant Park Neighborhood Association). 3rd Tuesday of every month, 7:30pm-9:00pm. Check www.grantpark.org for details. SAND (South Atlantans for Neighborhood Development). 2nd Thursday of every month, 7:30pm, Ormewood Church Fellowship Hall, corner of Woodland & Delaware Avenues. EACA (East Atlanta Community Association). 2nd Tuesday of the month, 7:00pm. See www.eaca.net for details. EABA (East Atlanta Business Association)...

Southeastern Trust for Parks and Land Acquires Conservation Easement

By Amanda Leesburg Southeastern Trust for Parks and Land (SE Trust), a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, acquires, conserves, and utilizes natural land for its mission of Conservation, Recreation and Community. SE Trust is proud to announce the creation and filing of a perpetual Conservation Easement for Tapestry Greenspace in...

Spring Blooms at Oakland with Family-Friendly Events!

Visitors enjoying last year's Illumine event Photo courtesy of Historic Oakland Foundation By Angie Wynne March and April are filled with fun, family-friendly opportunities to experience spring at Oakland Cemetery. Phoenix Flies, Atlanta Preservation Center’s annual celebration of historic sites, comes to Oakland on March 17 for an exciting “Geology in...

EAV Farmer’s Market Springing Back

By Katie Kriner East Atlanta Village (EAV) Farmers Market is a-springin' back up on Thursday, March 30, from 4:00pm-8:00pm. It will continue every Thursday 'til mid-November.  All your favorite farmers and vendors are back, as well some new faces,  live music, market chef with free samples, good vibes, all the...

Phoenix Flies Launches March 4

By Atlanta Preservation Staff Phoenix Flies 2023 celebrates 20 years that the Atlanta Preservation Center has brought together organizations and individuals from the community to demonstrate the value of Atlanta’s historic built environment. From museums to adaptive reuse projects, to neighborhood tours to public libraries, this year’s 90...

EACA Monthly Meeting Minutes – Thursday, February 14, 2023

Call to Order / Start Meeting Recording 7:00pm. January 10, 2023, Meeting Minutes approved. January 2023 Treasurer Report approved. Key January Events Recap – Chase Miller: About 30 people came to the MLK day of service to work at Branan Towers and two Neighbor in Need homes. We...

SAND Update – February 2023

By Kate Champion, SAND president SAND’s February 9 meeting was held in person with special guests, Council Members Liliana Bakhtiari and Jason Winston. You can find the questions asked and answered in the article below.  Several items of business were presented. The Ormewood Park Makers Festival will be held Saturday,...

GPNA Monthly Meeting Minutes – Tuesday, January 17, 2023

Call to Order–7:30pm. President’s Introduction. 2023 GPNA Goals: Website refresh - GPNA will finalize and implement the rebranded GPNA website. Sign toppers - GPNA will finalize neighborhood sign toppers project and implementation. Legacy neighbors outreach & support - GPNA will continue building on success from 2022. Community engagement -...

Madison Theater Participates in the GA Trust Historic Theater Tour 

Photo by Elena Kaplan Friends of the Madison Theater (left to right) include Stephanie Cherry-Farmer, Bill Gould, Jennifer Murray. Photo by Jenny Murry Stephanie Cherry-Farmer in front of the Madison Theater By Jenny Murray On February 11, the Madison Theater in East Atlanta was included in an “Historic Theaters Expedition”...

EACA Re-Launches the Friends of Brownwood Park Group

Photo by Patrick Cousins Park Pride, EACA and community leaders gather at Brownwood Park for a walk-through in January 2023. Left to Right: Michael Halicki, Executive Director of Park Pride; Ellen Bruenderman, Director of Community Services at Park Pride; Chase Miller, EACA President; Justin Cutler, City of Atlanta...

Council Member Liliana Bakhtiari Directs One Million Discretionary Dollars to Park Pride

By Nicholas Cappon Today, the Atlanta City Council adopted 23-O-1074, authorizing a contribution of $2.8 million in district-specific funds to Park Pride, with $1 million directly to park improvements and upgrades in Council District 5. “The health and vitality of a community can be measured by the growth and...

Legacy Neighbor Spotlight: James and Lillian Rowland

By Dee Dee Abbott Imagine buying a house in Grant Park for $450 down with a monthly payment of $57. This real estate reverie was a real estate reality for James Rowland. When James and his wife Lillian moved to Grant Park in 1965, there were only three other...