Loved to Pieces . . . with Nancy Castaldo

Good morning! Mr. Pig here. The Cottagers and I are enjoying a nice cup of tea and some delicious pastries and with our good pal Nancy Castaldo. Won't you join us?

Nancy is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books for children, including her latest Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and Their Noses) Save the World. Gee, I'd always assumed pigs (and their snouts) saved the world, but admittedly, I have no scientific basis for that assumption. Anyhoo. . .

Nancy was just about to share her favorite books from her childhood. Tell us about them, Nancy. . ..

"There were so many books that I loved when I was very young including A Child’s Garden of Verses, Winnie-the-Pooh, and Kipling’s Just So Stories, but one of my very favorites was What Shall I Put in the Hole That I Dig? It was a tiny nonfiction book about seeds and growing, with wonderful illustrations by Aliki. I loved it so much that when the photographer asked me to hold my favorite toy I chose that little book. It sits on my desk and holds so many special memories of reading and my grandparents’ gardens. What Shall I Put in the Hole That I Dig? was one of my earliest books and was read to me until I could read it on my own.

Once I was bitten by the reading bug and became an independent reader, a whole new world opened up. It was filled with faraway places like in the Island of the Blue Dolphins; stories set long ago, as in The Witch of Blackbird Pond; and smart girls, like Nancy Drew, who could solve mysteries. Those characters became real and their settings as familiar as my own backyard. It was also filled with true stories of science and adventure. I can still picture the shelf in my elementary library where the biography of Marie Curie resided. I visited it often. Her story, and all the others, have become woven into who I am."

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Nancy Castaldo is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books for children. Her books, focusing on the world around us, earned her the New York State Outdoor Education Association’s Art and Literature Award.  Her latest book, Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and Their Noses) Save the World (Houghton Mifflin 2014), highlights all the ways dogs help humans using their highly developed sense of smell.

In addition to writing, Ms. Castaldo is the Regional Advisor for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrator’s Eastern NY region and a reviewer for the Historical Novel Society. Her books, focusing on the world around us, earned her the New York State Outdoor Education Association’s Art and Literature Award. Her latest book, Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and Their Noses) Save the World (Houghton Mifflin 2014), highlights all the ways dogs help humans using their highly developed sense of smell.

In addition to writing, Ms. Castaldo is the Regional Adviser for the Society of Children’s Book and Illustrator’s Eastern NY region and is a reviewer for the Historical Novel Society.

She and her husband live in New York’s Hudson Valley with their English goldendoodle, Gatsby and their cat, Zuzu. To learn more about Nancy and her  books, visit her author site at nancycastaldo.com.

Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and Their Noses) Save the World
by Nancy F. Castaldo
(HMH Books for Young Readers 2014)
ISBN: 978-0544088931

* "An exemplary presentation of information in a lively, engaging way—readers will be left feeling awe for their canine companions and enthusiasm for their abilities."
—Kirkus, starred review

"Superb coverage of the canine contribution to rescue and safety in both text and illustration."
—VOYA

"A well-organized, thoughtfully written title that celebrates the achievements of these great dogs."
—School Library Journal

"This fascinating account will leave young readers feeling wonder and gratitude for the gifts of the canine set."
—The Wall Street Journal