 About the author:
Marianne Berkes has spent much of her life as a teacher, children's theater director and children's librarian. She is listed in "Something About the Author" and also in "Who's Who in American Education" (2007). Marianne is also a favorite presenter at schools and literary conferences, reading her award-winning books and talking about her publishing adventures.
Marianne says she learns so much when she writes her books, and has always loved telling stories about animals and nature.
"I write about things that interest me," says Marianne. "And I love to do the research. For example, I have always been fascinated with frogs, and when I moved to Florida, I couldn't believe the variety of sounds that came from the pond in the back of our home. I recorded them. Then, of course, I needed to find out which frog was making which sound; that required a lot of research."
Before moving to Florida 18 years ago, Marianne was an early childhood educator in New York, and also directed children's theater. Music, theater and writing have been a constant in her life and she puts all this to good use in her "interactive" children's picture books.
 Marianne likes to tell students how important doing the research is, and that all of her books are checked by experts. The frog book was reviewed by a herpetologist at The Bronx Zoo, her seashell book by a marine biologist, the bird book by a director of bird conservation with the Audubon Society, and her ocean book by the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center.
When visiting schools Marianne wants to open kid's eyes to the magic found in our natural world, and "to touch the head as well as the heart. I want my books to educate, as well as entertain!" That's why she calls her books "faction," a combination of fact and fiction. "I have so many wonderful things I want to write about; ideas are all around us, especially in nature."
Marianne lives with her husband, Roger, on the east coast of Florida.
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