My full name is Mary Catherine Rishcoff. Presently, I reside in the City of Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.. I have lived in Allentown off and on since the seventh grade. I am the author and illustrator of the children’s book entitled, The Treetop, the Wind, and the Balloon, which I self-published. Now, I am doing marketing via Authors’ Lounge of Readers Magnet Publishing. The book is available through Amazon, and Barnes & Noble, also.

Authors’ Lounge of ReadersMagnet Publishing affords me the opportunity to present to you about my first published children’s book as well as about myself. The story of the book is about a very special tree, the Hyperion Tree. Although my book does not have an actual picture of the Hyperion Tree, children’s imaginations can very well take them there, in my opinion. However, be it known that the Hyperion Tree is a real tree growing in Redwood National Park, which is located in California, U.S.A..

The illustrations of the book, which I created, are of a treetop, a wind, and a balloon. But, more specifically, the illustrations are of the treetop of the Hyperion Tree, a Zephyr, and a balloon colored red. As the story progresses, these three interact to reveal movement. In the end the tree is revealed. It stands alone. Because of Authors’ Lounge with Readers Magnet Publishing, readers can get a picture of both the author and the cover of the book, The Treetop, the Wind, and the Balloon. The cover portrays the treetop and said motion.

Quite frankly, for a long time now, I have enjoyed writing children’s stories. Although the illustrations can present a serious challenge, it is a challenge that I like to undertake. Like writing, I enjoy Nature.

One of my favorite aspects of Nature is the tree. Another aspect that I find pleasure in is the wind. I began to more fully enjoy the trees and the wind while I walked about the City of Allentown. My most enjoyable trek was from the eastside of Allentown to the south of the city where my parents lived. I lived in the eastside for a number of years and visiting my Mother became a regular event, especially by means of walking. I enjoyed these trees and the wind so much so that I painted, drew, and wrote on these aspects of Nature. I was in awe. My first book is an example of my enjoyment and awe in that I portray the interaction of a treetop with the wind and a balloon.

Essentially, I grew up with trees. I came to value and appreciate trees early in life. Also, I have trees in common with my brother, Paul. He cuts down old and declined trees to make way for newer growth. The trees that he cuts provided my Mother’s house with warmth as a source of heat. Often, I stacked high the woodpiles with Paul then.

As a child, I played in the trees in our backyard in St. Mary’s, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.. Sometimes, I even climbed the bigger trees. Also, at that time, my family and I enjoyed occasional visits to the roadside rests, which are forests with areas for cooking and eating along the highways. We played around the many trees there. They seemed so tall and big!

When I was in the seventh grade, my family and I moved to the City of Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.. As it happened, trees, lots of trees, and a field grew across the street from our home. There was a nice wooded area, which was dense and not at all well traveled. Today, there is a city playground and some woods, which are well traveled.

As for the wind, I remember it fondly in my childhood. In particular, I remember the wind with storms rustle through the trees. Today, the winds have picked up places and can almost blow away a person. So, as you see, Nature figures prominently in my life. The inspiration is there as was the play.

Like Nature, play figured highly in my life, especially as a child and as a resident of the eastside of the City of Allentown. For me, somehow, both lend themselves to creativity. But then, I found that children are so very creative in special ways. The children crossing my path in life were not only fun, but stimulating, also. What a pleasure!

Now with self-publishing, I can share with these “joys of life” my insights and treasures of life. In the children’s book, The Treetop, the Wind, and the Balloon, there is not only a tree and wind, but there is a balloon, also. I find that balloons are exciting, as does my brother, Bernard. He shares with me a purpose with balloons.

Today, balloons are good for nearly every occasion. Watching them disappear as the wind takes them is playful itself. I get balloons as presents from Bernard, as did my Mother, and, also, from one of my sisters.

There are eight children in my family, four boys and four girls. We played together in Nature often, as both youngsters and adults. Authors’ Lounge with Readers Magnet presented some of my life of play in Nature in the above article. I wish that every child had such opportunities. Of course, it presents my first published book, The Treetop, the Wind, and the Balloon.