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Reader Reviews for "Becky and The Bunnies"

Reviewed by Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer	6/25/2009
Many Berthoud residents featured in new children’s book By Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer Berthoud Weekly Surveyor Marilyn Magee knows a thing or two about children; she is mother to five and grandmother to four. Magee, who was born and raised in Denver, lives just outside Berthoud on County Road 12. “I’ve always loved things that have to do with kids,” said Magee as we sat down at the Jumping Bean to talk about her new book, “Becky and the Bunnies.” “I’d always had a fascination with writing,” said Magee. “I’ve kept journals my whole life and wrote poetry when I was a kid.” A small incident three years ago set Marilyn Magee on the path to becoming a children’s author. Magee needed some fertilizer for her garden, and so she drove over to Dale Sims’ place in Berthoud to get a truckload of manure. Back at home, she quickly discovered that manure was not the only thing she’d gotten at the Sims’ farm; she found three baby bunnies buried in the pile of manure. At the time, Magee was working full time, and she didn’t have the time to care for three baby bunnies, so she elicited the help of Tim Vancil, of Berthoud. Mr. Vancil already had his hands full taking care of a baby bird that had fallen out of a nest in his yard, so he called Becky Saul, also of Berthoud. Becky was able to take in the three bunnies and nurse them back to health. “I photographed some of what was going on, not with the intention of writing a book, but they were so darn cute. Once I saw the picture that’s now on the cover of the book, I thought this has to be a kids’ book — I have to share this story with children,” said Magee. Magee had some previous experience as an author using the selfpublishing capabilities at www.blurb.com, so she went to work compiling her photographs and writing the story of Rascal, Jasper and Sweet Pea, the lucky baby bunnies that Magee rescued and Becky Saul raised. “I would have to say this book is basically meant for a parent to read to a child. However, several young people (ages seven to 10) read it, and they’ve just loved it,” explained Magee. The book, “Becky and the Bunnies,” is now available for purchase in the bookstore at www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/ 718184. Magee has five other books in various stages of completion, including four children’s books and one book for teens. She is also a writer for Denver’s www.Examiner.com, an online newspaper providing news on Denver and the surrounding areas. Magee is the Denver Frugal Living Examiner and her columns appear in the Home & Living section of the online magazine. She provides tips on everything from how to throw an inexpensive weekend barbeque to tips on throwing an eco-friendly wedding. Creating books using www.blurb.com is an activity Magee truly enjoys, and she has created two books for her relatives, using family pictures to create a long lasting, cherished family heirloom. She would like to start building these books for other people in the community who would like to have their family’s history preserved in such a way. Magee also helps people write their life stories. If you’d like to learn more, please visit Magee’s own Web site at www.frugalliving- denver.com.
Reviewed by Marilyn Magee	6/18/2009