VENICE, Fla., Feb. 1, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Bird lovers know how inquisitive, intelligent and clever parakeets can be. Now, Beverly Hoffman Erickson makes their delightful qualities known to young readers everywhere in a heartwarming tale about one family and their quest to find their friendly feathered companion in Parakeet Magic (now available through AuthorHouse).
The story focuses on a family in South Bend, Ind. When Mary surprises her kindergarten daughter, Beverly, with a baby parakeet, the young girl is delighted. They name him Jade and are soon rewarded by the endless antics of this acrobatic jokester who loves to communicate with them. Even Beverly's father, Carl, gets a kick out of Jade's habit of perching on people's heads.
One day, their beloved pet disappears, and the family places a notice in the local newspapers. Three different phone calls raise their hopes, but none of the birds turns out to be Jade. Still, Mary, Carl and Beverly's lives are touched by these other lost birds that all add their own personality to the story. They eventually keep a bird named Skipper to replace Jade, who never returned home. Skipper is not Jade, but he brightens their home just the same.
Years later, after Beverly is grown with a family of her own, she meets a woman who helps her to solve the mystery of what happened to her missing pet.
A heartwarming tale, Parakeet Magic appeals to those who already know what wonderful pets these unique birds make, and it educates young readers who may not realize the unique qualities these feathered creatures have to offer.
Erickson was born and raised in South Bend in a musical family, and she grew up with parakeets as pets. She worked as a secretary at the University of Notre Dame and with the South Bend Police Department as a school crossing guard before moving to Florida in 1983. There, she became president of the Lemon Bay Bird Club and formed Feather Fables Publishing Company in Venice, Fla. Previous works include A Flower for Iggey and Toy on Top of a Christmas Tree, which won an award from Petsmart. She is currently working on a diary about the 1960s television star, Garner McKay.
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