With over 38 million books in print, Jan Brett is one of America’s most beloved children’s author/ illustrators and regularly occupies the number one slot on the New York Times best seller list.  She makes stunning books that are treasured by generations.

Brett will be coming to Bend on her 23-market national tour for her new book, MOSSY. As fans have come to expect, she tours aboard a “rock-star” style bus wrapped with artwork from her latest book. She will be doing a drawing demonstration and book signing at each stop across the country.

MOSSY is the story of a special turtle with a magnificent garden growing on her shell. Brett, an extraordinary artist, is a master of bringing the wonders of nature to generations of kids and their parents. Her latest tale is sweet, engaging and highlights that animals belong in the wild.

MOSSY was inspired by Brett’s real life encounter with a turtle with plants on its carapace. To research her new book, she and her husband, Joe, built a turtle pond on their property complete with rocks for sunning, caves to hide from predators and deep water for hibernation. Lingonberries and strawberries were planted nearby to entice the new residents – and eventually they came!

Brett’s incredible body of work has largely been inspired by her love of the natural world and strong belief in conservation.  She has taken research trips to North, Central and South America, the Arctic, Asia, India and Central and Southern Africa to study flora and fauna.  She is a member of the National Audubon Society, the Chicago Zoological Society, The Wildlands Trust and the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences.

In MOSSY, Brett’s famously painstaking work of intricate brush strokes and magnified details reveals life and magic in every leaf vein and flower petal. It takes Brett one hour to paint every square inch of each of her treasured books.

Saturday, October 20, 10am-12pm, at the Tower Theater. Hosted by the Deschutes Public Library; 835 NW Wall St., Bend. 541-617-7050 (library).