Paben, Gayle: - Gayle Paben is a retired teacher who enjoys music, writing, and painting in various mediums. She is a pianist and also plays in a handbell choir. She enjoys watching her grandchildren in their many activities. When she was teaching, she enjoyed writing poems for special occasions and writing skits and plays for her students to perform. Her first book, The Poetry of Animals, won two silver medals from the Florida Authors and Publishers Association. The book taught about animals and their amazing adaptations through poetry. Having worked with children for many years, she was always looking for stories that would motivate her students to read. She hopes this novel will do just that.