HOWELL -- Author Timothy Young, of Maryland, visited Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore Troop 432 last month to unveil his latest book, "If You Give the Puffin a Muffin," which was inspired by Girl Scout Emily Horvath and her friend Ashley Nietupski.
The girls previously met Young when he came to their school about four years ago and read "The Angry Puffin" as part of a visiting author program run by Josephine Schneider, a media specialist at Land O'Pines and Newbury Elementary schools.
Schneider had reached out to Young and asked if he would participate in Read Across America Day. Being a native of Keyport, he found a good reason to revisit Monmouth County and agreed to come.
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Young, who began writing and illustrating his books in 2008, credits both girls for inspiring him to write "If You Give the Puffin a Muffin."
The title and story were suggested by both girls, who submitted a written and illustrated draft to Young when they were in third grade. He asked Schneider if he could use the girls' ideas for a future book and promised to dedicate it to them.
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Schneider said, "I thought it was a great idea and was so proud that the girls had made such a meaningful connection to his book."
She added that Newbury's principal, Dr. James Quinn, "really pushes literacy" and that the visiting author program fosters this skill and helps children make connections between themselves and the characters in books.
"One of the greatest joys of being a school librarian is creating opportunities for students to go beyond the printed pages of a book, to appreciate all the facets of literature and its possibilities," Schneider said.
"Students are continually transforming stories that are read aloud during media classes to different levels of inquiry and problem solving. Literature is truly a versatile starting point for any educational journey," she added.
True to his word, Young dedicated "If You Give the Puffin a Muffin" to the girls and brought newly published copies when he returned to see them as part of a Girl Scout meeting. He read the new story to the troop and presented Emily and Ashley with signed copies of the book and framed, original illustrations from it.
He also read a few of his other books and spoke briefly about his career path and how perseverance is an important skill to have in order to get into the publishing field.
He said that rhyming books are harder to write and that he preferred prose. Ideas for new books usually begin with an image and others with a message.
"Each one is its own," he said, referring to the unique nature of each book's creation.
Young's career in publishing was preceded by his love and talent for art. While in high school, he put together a portfolio of his work and was offered a partial scholarship from Pratt Institute, where he enrolled and learned sculpting, painting, drawing, animation as well as graphic and industrial design.
He eventually chose to major in illustration, and that led to jobs working for Broadcast Arts in New York and for big companies that produced animated commercials and even Peter Gabriel's music video "Big Time."
On the side, he sought clients who needed an illustrator for their books, magazines and other products, including toys. He worked on "Jim Henson Presents," where he designed and built some background Muppet characters, and designed toys for fast-food restaurants. He was also the first sculptor to work on a 3-D version of Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson's hair for the animated show "The Simpsons."
When Young and his wife, Melanie, moved to England, he worked for a toy company creating new designs and sculpting characters. After five years, he and his family moved back to New York where he became the design director for a company that designed over 300 toy and souvenir products for Universal Studios, Walt Disney Stores, Disney on Ice shows and Barney.
After a brief stint in New Jersey, he and his family moved to Maryland where Young founded his company, Creatures & Characters, and pursued his dream to write and illustrate children's books.
His first book was "I'm Looking for a Monster!" and he has another one coming out in May called "Untitled."
In between writing and illustrating, Young attends book festivals, participates in drawing workshops and visits various organizations and schools. He enjoys how the students react to the way he reads his stories and how they enjoy watching him draw funny pictures.
Young said, "It's almost like being a kid again, without the homework."
He has visited many schools in the northeast region of the U.S. and now has a mission to visit many more through his self-imposed 50-State Challenge.
To learn more, visit creaturesandcharacters.com.
