Local author, artist and publisher collaborate on farm book

WARWICK - Generally, when Alan Lewis introduces his new book at local schools and libraries, he arrives wearing his wide brimmed hat, ranch coat and bib overalls with a red poker dot handkerchief hanging out of a pocket. Lewis is not a farmer today. He is actually an assistant principal at Maple Hill Elementary School. But the audience loves his costume and he explains the purpose of each article of clothing as an introduction to his new book, “I Grew Up On A Farm,” published by Warwick’s Moo Press. When Lewis, who did grow up on a farm near Middletown, decided to write a children’s book about his childhood, he approached Diane Tinney, president and publisher of Warwick’s Moo Press. Tinney said that she immediately recognized the inherent value of Lewis’ project. “With the ever-increasing number of houses being built in place of the farms that used to fill the landscape,” she said, “I agreed with Lewis that something of that past way of life, the life of the American farmer, needed to be preserved for future generations.” Tinney, a resident of Warwick, was actually inspired by the many local dairy farms when she named the children’s imprint of her publishing company “Moo Press.” While she publishes authors who live all over the country, she said that she takes particular pride in helping local authors realize their dreams. Lewis, a resident of Middletown, lives about a mile from the family farm that is the subject of his book. After meeting with Lewis, Tinney knew the next step was to find the right illustrator for the book. Lewis had collected many black-and-white photos but both agreed they needed something more. The publisher had long admired the work of New Milford artist Bob Fletcher. “I was excited by the possibility of working with a local illustrator as well as author,” she said. Fletcher’s illustrations have appeared in numerous books and countless magazines over his award-winning career. Most recently, he was the recipient of the Independent Publisher’s Award and the Odom Heritage Award for his work on Remembrance: A Tribute to American Veterans. Tinney contacted Fletcher, and after an initial meeting, he agreed to provide the artistic component of the farm book project. The artist took Lewis’ black and white family photos and expanded them into full-color pastel illustrations. “This unique technique,” said Lewis, “vividly brought to life my summer days spent fishing and searching for snakes and my winter afternoons spent sledding and building snowmen.” “I Grew Up On A Farm,” the result of this collaboration of local author, artist, and publisher, is now available at The Bookstore in Warwick. Lewis is also happy to share his story with children, parents, and educators and he’s available for appearances at schools and libraries.