Mary
created "An American Sampler," an educational assembly for schools
and libraries that chronicles the history of American music, to teach children
that Rock incorporates many types of musical influences and if it weren’t for
these types of music, such as Gospel, Bluegrass, Country, Jazz, and Folk, there
would be no Rock & Roll. Mary lives in the Chicago area with her husband,
T.C.
They have two
sons and two dogs... and no Crocodiles or Monkeys…yet!
Tell us about the genre of your
work.
My books have been called "Stories that
Sing" and "Reading Songs." Each picture book comes with a CD or
mp3 of the music and story, along with the musical score and downloadable
coloring sheets from my website MGFurlong.com.
Why did you choose this genre?
I think this genre chose me!
I have always enjoyed collaborating with my fellow
educators and integrating Music into the core curriculum. Kids come with all sorts of different
learning styles and learning with Music makes it much more fun!
What are some of your books, stories
that have been published?
I have two published books under my belt:
Nile,
Nile, Crocodile and 5
Monkeys and Little Crocodile.
What ages do you direct your books?
My target audience is
children between the ages of 3 and 7, although older kids and adults have been
seen smiling and tapping their toes!
Can you tell us more about your books?
Nile,
Nile, Crocodile (ISBN-13: 978-1-60131-029-3) A story
about a mischievous Croc who nibbles on freckles, jeans, sneakers, and even
undies! The book includes a map of Egypt
and information about the Nile River and the Nile Crocodile.
5
Monkeys and Little Crocodile (ISBN-13:
978-1-60131-069-9) Little Crocodile is being teased by 5 little monkeys. What would you do if you were being teased?
You might be surprised at what Little Crocodile does! The book has an anti-bullying theme and what
you can do if you find yourself being bullied.
There is information about the Vervet or Green Monkey and the endangered
slender-snouted crocodile, who is actually quite shy, as crocodiles go~
You can purchase the books at: Brilliant Sky Toys
and Books. www.deerparkil@brilliantskytoys.com
847.438.8300
Do your books have a teaching
objective? If so, what is it?
Absolutely!
The books can be integrated into various curricula, such as Science and
Social Studies.
What is your favorite thing about your
book/s?
My favorite thing about my books is that the kids
learn while singing, moving, and having fun!
Is your book illustrated? If so, would you tell us by whom, and if you
worked with an illustrator, can you discuss that experience?
The illustrations in both books are by the
incredible Aija Jasuna. I was drawn (pun
intended) to her work because of her concept of the characters and her sense of
color. Aija lives in Latvia and in spite
of our language barriers, we were able to communicate just fine! Art and Music
are definitely world languages!
How is writing in the genre you write,
different than other genre?
I think it's different from most other genre because
it is more "lyrical" and more like "composing" than just
constructing a story. There is rhythm and
rhyme involved.
Are there any problems in getting
children’s’ books published?
Getting this kind of Children's book published has
been difficult because agents and therefore, publishers aren't sure what
category these "singing stories" will fit. They are not strictly Picture Books or
strictly Educational (textbooks).
Why and when did you begin writing?
Nile, Nile, Crocodile was written when I couldn't find a song about the
Nile Crocodile while I was teaching Music/Art in an inner city school. It became a favorite of my students. One day, one of the Kindergarteners said she
thought it would be a really cool book.
From the mouths of babes...
What projects are you working on now, or plan for the future?
I
am currently working on a parent/teacher resource for teaching the connections
between the Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the election of Barack
Obama.
What kind of advice or tips to you have
for someone who wants to write and get published?
Don't give up!
What do you do when you are not writing?
I am a laundress,
chauffeur, cook, housecleaner (not so much), nurse, landscaper, animal
tender. In other words, the best job in
the whole world, a Mom! :)
What “Made It” moments have you
experienced in life?
I can't say this is a "made it" moment,
but I was sure proud: Both
"Nile" and "5 Monkeys" received the Kids Music Award 2011
for best Reading Stories.
You can learn more about Mary on her website at:Note from Sylvia: You can visit my other blog at: http://love-faith-and-guts.blogspot.com/that features a preview to my new book released in 2012, Traveling a Rocky Road with Love, Faith and Guts.
3 comments:
We need more people like Mary Furlong in our world who are open-minded enough to incorporate music into our children's learning. Yaaaaaaaaaay!
Combining art forms lends perspective and context. Kudos to Mary Furlong for having the talent and tenacity to put story and song together in such a compelling way!
These books sound like great resources for elementary music education. It really was a very creative idea to incorporate geography and history into a book complete with songs.
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