Tuco went to school this month to help kick off Read Across America. We were so proud of him for interacting with the students at St. Olaf Catholic School in Bountiful, Utah. He got them to ask questions about him and Skip Thomas, the writing process of our books, and how the illustrator comes up with ideas for the pictures.

We were so happy to be a part of this wonderful program. Mrs. Cowan, a third and fourth grade teacher, had invited us to share our story with the children. Each year they select writers for this event to speak about their books, their faith, and their inspirations. We went one step futher by having Tim, the illustrator of Skip Thomas Adventures, and Tuco, our newest rescue, there to show just how the whole book process comes together.

Principal McFall showed great support for us as well. He oversaw our slide show on the big screens. That was a tremendous relief for me when explaining the process for I was nervous about what I was going to say. Mrs. Cowan was a big relief also, as she went through the audience choosing students who raised their hands to ask questions. Tuco was given a chance to show some love to the students at the end of the presentation. One by one the kids got to say hello and give him pets. We were so proud of him being on his best behavior as he had never been around so many children at one time before. He was a champ.

We love this school. Tim and I are both Catholic and we felt right at home there. We had met Father Andrew two weeks prior to this event when we went to check out the school and the church. We wanted to see where it was located and just how long it would take us to get there so we wouldn’t be late for our allotted time. Tuco was with us, too. Father Andrew was wondering who these people were when he saw us. Why are they walking around the school grounds with a dog and looking in windows? When we told him who we were, he graciously walked us around the grounds and let us in the school to see where we would be giving our presentation. He was so nice to us. Eveyone we met there was so kind and friendly. And I have to say, all the students were very polite and well behaved. :)

Even though Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday shared the same day this year, we got to pay homage to both. So, the month of February, the month of love as I like to call it, ended on a positive note. The weather cooperated, we were happy and healthy, we got our story out to more people, and Tuco was a good boy. Can’t wait to see what March brings us!

Til next time: Keep reading, keep learning, and always look for the good in others. God bless.

Skip’s mom, Cb