Children & Nature network

New Book Looks at Nature Through Child’s Eyes

Burlington County Times – March 18, 2008
By Kristen Coppock

She does more than stop to smell the roses, she embraces them. And this tiny nature lover notices many of the other little things in life that many people might be missing.

Luisa Stevens, the young narrator of her father's new book, invites readers to join her as she discovers the world around her for the first time. “Luisa's Nature,” penned by Willingboro native Mark J. Stevens, is a work of creative nonfiction and serves as a 252-page love letter to the natural world's plants, insects and animals, as well as children and their innocent curiosity.

“Luisa's Nature,” Stevens' first published book, goes on sale Thursday. Released by Wyatt-Mackenzie Publishing of by Deadwood, Ore., it will be available for purchase through bookstores, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble's online store and the publisher's Web site www.wymacpublishing.com.

Although written through an infant's perspective, the author said the book is geared toward adults. He wrote the narrative in a mature manner of speaking that's “toned down” to what a baby might say.

“That was the major challenge in writing it,” Stevens said.

According to his publisher, Stevens has fond memories of growing up surrounded by nature. From his back yard cherry tree and his mother's vegetable garden to outdoor sports and nearby woods to the Pine Barrens, the Jersey Shore and beyond, the author drew on his own experiences for inspiration.

Stevens, who lives with his wife and children in Germany, is a journalist and online editor for the Munich-based publication Automotive News Europe, which is published by Crain Communications. Although he writes regularly about the business of the automotive industry, he said his real passion is children and nature.

A 1992 graduate of Rutgers University, Stevens was a literature major as an undergraduate, and he speaks fluently in German, French and Spanish. He has traveled “quite a bit” through Europe, including a stint in Germany through a college internship, and has been to a number of places throughout North and Central America, as well.

“I became heavily involved in nature through travel,” he said.

It was on a ski slope in the Austrian Alps that he first met his German-born wife Nina. Luisa Stevens was born into the family on June 18, 2003, and it didn't take long for the newborn to provide inspiration.

“On July 5, I got out of the shower, put the computer on and started writing,” Stevens said. “It just kind of hit me. The main influence was Luisa.”

“Luisa's Nature” is based on real-life events. Split into four parts — one for each season — the story follows her throughout infancy as she discovers things many people may not ordinarily notice, such as leaves falling, a snow-capped mountain, a squirrel's tail twitching or a rainbow. Watching her mother prepare carrot juice, her parents engaging in a snowball fight and listing to her father tell stories about his own adventures with nature are among the personal experiences conveyed through the narrator. Birds, insects, flowers, trees, weather, fish and other animals are all noticed by Luisa.

“I saw her discovering things in nature. Her world was small and compact,” Stevens said of his daughter. “(The story) became a book of her discoveries and my fantasy.”

Much of the story takes place in Munich, Germany, and its surrounding areas, but the narrative also describes the family's 16-day trip to Willingboro, where Stevens' parents still live. (He said the young family spends about three weeks a year in New Jersey.)

While staying in Burlington County, Luisa describes day trips to the Jersey Shore and Philadelphia, in addition to her surroundings at her grandparents' home.

“A lot of her discoveries are in the back yard here,” said Stevens, a 1988 Willingboro High School graduate. “It's very nature oriented.”

While observing her natural habitats, the young narrator also discovers her family and values. In the book, she visits with her grandparents, Marianne and Peter Stevens, as well as her “Uncle Mike” and “Aunt Stephanie,” the author's brother and sister-in-law, who live in Mount Laurel.

“We get out as a family a lot,” said the author. “We feel there is strength in getting out and being active.”

Since he began working on “Luisa's Nature,” which took about 16 months to write, Stevens' wife gave birth to a son. The author said he is planning a second book with Daniel Stevens, now 22 months old, as the narrative voice. He said the next book also will have a nature theme, but will be different in its tone. He said the style change will reflect his children's unique personalities.

“Luisa is observant. Danny is hands-on. They notice different things,” said Stevens.

The author said he hopes that his work encourages other parents to teach their children about nature, and raise readers' awareness of their environments. Buoyed by his book, Stevens is in the process of working with various children's organizations, educators and zoo experts to get his message out.

To promote his work, a book tour is in the process of being planned for late April and early May. The tour will include stops at zoos in Phoenix, Ariz., and cities in California, as well as a festival in Baltimore, Md. Stevens said plans for the tour also include stops in the Burlington County area.

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