Local Author Raises Environmental Awareness Through Her Children's Book, "Dancing With Tex"

The Hidden Story Behind A Unique Environmental Friendship Book

"Dancing With Tex" Inspires Local Winnetka Author To Keep Her Dreams Alive

We’re standing at a crossroads in caring for our planet.

No one knows what will happen to our environment. It’s up to each of us to be aware, speak up and be proactive. The lives of many endangered species hang in the balance.

Writer Lynn Sanders of Winnetka is doing her part to raise environmental awareness among
youth through her newly published children’s picture book, Dancing With Tex: The Remarkable Friendship To Save The Whooping Cranes. The book received rave reviews, and is already being carried in several stores,
nonprofit environmental groups and on Amazon.

To promote her book, Sanders is planning an Amazon best-seller campaign, encouraging customers
to buy this inspirational book on Cyber Monday, November 28th. Half of the proceeds from Amazon’s book sales on that day will go towards the nonprofit, Center For Biological Diversity, a leader in saving the world’s endangered species. Customers will also be entitled to free digital gifts.

Dancing With Tex tells the true friendship story between a man and bird, and also reinforces positive
values for youth. The emphasis is on having faith, belief and perseverance in your dreams.

The story is based on the true events between Dr. George Archibald, co-founder of The
International Crane Foundation and a world-famous ornithologist and a rare bird
named Tex, who believed she belonged with people. In 1995, while on a video
shoot, Sanders learned how Archibald danced with a rare bird, who believed she
belonged with people. For six years, numerous challenges were overcome until Tex finally laid a fertile egg. The egg finally hatched into Gee Whiz, whose numerous offspring helped save the Whooping Cranes from extinction. The event was so significant that TV host Johnny Carson interviewed Archibald as a guest on his program.

Just as George and Tex had to persevere over many years, Sanders found herself in the
same predicament while trying to get the book published. In her case, the process took close to two
decades.

“The manuscript was accepted by a small publishing company, The Benefactory, in
2006, but then they ran out of funding,” she explained.

“A few years later, as part of a musical writing workshop, my colleagues, Jenny Stafford and
Russ Coutinho and I created a fictionalized musical of this story, A Whooper’s Tale: The Incredible Story of Tex. The show got wonderful reviews during our two readings at Theatre Building Chicago.
Unfortunately, the theatre was sold right after the performances, and no more readings were held.”

Sanders put the manuscript on hold for a few years, attempting to send it off to publishers
occasionally. Finally, another children’s writer from a professional association contacted Sanders to inform
her that she’d like to take the story idea and adapt it for her own children’s book. The writer informed Sanders politely that no one can copyright an idea.

That nudge was sufficient to stir Sanders into action. She told the unnamed writer she would not like her taking her story idea. While still taken aback, her son Andrew suggested that she just “forget
the story and move on.” It had been so long…

Realizing it was totally up to her to bring this unusual story to the masses, Sanders ran a
crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to pay for illustration costs. When one illustrator was too expensive, she worked with another. The second illustrator worked on the project for about six months, but the drawings weren’t quite what Sanders had envisioned. So, it was back to the drawing boards to search for a new illustrator.

Sanders posted an ad on Outsource, an online freelance site, and landed up with 93
applicants for the position. Discovering Sergio Drumond, a world-class artist from Guadalajara, Sanders hired him, and the project started moving forward smoothly. Or so she thought...

(At this point, a good writing teacher would recommend adding one last conflict to make the story even more compelling.)

Yes, there was still another obstacle to overcome.

On October 25, 2015, the Sanders family encountered an unexpected and scary situation. Their son Andrew had a sudden stroke! For three days, their son was unconscious at Evanston Hospital’s intensive care floor. When Andrew finally awoke and needed rehabilitation, Sanders and her husband did everything they could to stay calm and be positive.

Coming back from hospital visits, Sanders would find comfort in working with the illustrator on the book. Fortunately, Andrew recovered. Despite a year’s delay from the anticipated publishing date, Dancing
With Tex finally made its debut on Amazon this past summer. Now, Sanders knows it’s time to spread the word.

Indeed, both the book and the behind the scenes story share the elements of having faith,
belief and perseverance in making a dream come true.

After the story was published, Sanders received a thank you card from Archibald. “Congratulations
on the publication of Dancing With Tex. It’s beautiful and well presented after such a prolonged birthing. I hope it touches the hearts of children and bends them toward the environment…. Thank you for telling this story.”

While most people don't know the journey behind this story, Sanders loves to autograph her books with the message, “Keep Your Dreams Alive!” She certainly learned to do just that. For more details, visit: DancingWithTex.com.

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