Seeing Eye Dog Book Signing June 9 in Frenchtown

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The Book Garden of Frenchtown will host a book signing for Hampton illustrator, Doris Ettlinger's most recent book, Morris and Buddy: The Story of the First Seeing Eye Dog on Saturday, June 9, from 2 - 4 p.m.

The book, written for 7 - 10 year-olds by Becky Hall, tells the story of Morris Frank who lost his sight when he was sixteen years old in 1924. Frustrated by his loss of independence he was thrilled when in 1928 his father read him an article called "The Seeing Eye" about dogs in Germany working with blind veterans of World War I. Morris wrote to the author, Dorothy Eustis, an American dog trainer in Switzerland and convinced her to let him work with a guide dog. In Switzerland Morris Frank met his German shepherd, Buddy. After weeks of discouraging false steps and miscues he finally learned to work as a team with his dog. After returning to the US Morris Frank helped establish The Seeing Eye in 1929.

Since its founding The Seeing Eye has brought a new level of mobility, safety, and self-sufficiency to almost 8,000 men and women.

Visitors to the book signing will also have the opportunity to meet a local woman who has had Seeing Eye dogs since 1978. Vickie Curley, who currently has a German shepherd as her partner in travel, will provide information about The Seeing Eye and will answer questions about the unique partnership she has with her dog. Mrs. Curley's daughter, Nicole, is a volunteer puppy raiser for The Seeing Eye. Nicole and her German shepherd puppy also will be on hand to provide information about the rewarding role volunteers play in helping these puppies reach their special destiny.

To research her illustrations for Morris & Buddy, Doris Ettlinger visited the archive at The Seeing Eye, located just outside Morristown. Besides finding photographs for the back of the book, she looked for pictures of the young Morris Frank and Buddy, as well as background pictures of Vevey, Switzerland, where he stayed. Her challenge was to illustrate events from the book for which there were no photographs.

Ms. Ettlinger works primarily in watercolor and colored pencil. Two of her other recent titles are G is for Garden State (chosen by the NJ Center for the Book for the 2005 National Book Festival) and T is for Teacher (winner of Learning Magazine's Teacher's Choice Award 2006) will also be available for sale and signing. The Orange Shoes, another Sleeping Bear Press title, will be coming this fall.

Born on Staten Island, New York, Ms. Ettlinger graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and later received an MFA from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. She has illustrated about 50 books for children, including storybooks, science books and even two "lift-the-flap" books.

In 1995 Ms. Ettlinger began a five-year collaboration with the illustrator Renee Graef on the Little House Program for HarperCollins, illustrating several picture books based on Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House in the Big Woods. She later illustrated chapter books for beginner readers, including stories about the childhoods of Laura's mother, Caroline, and her daughter, Rose.

Doris Ettlinger lives in an old gristmill on the banks of the Musconetcong River with her husband, Michael McFadden, an artist and teacher of Design and Technology at Hunterdon Central High School; their almost-completely-grown-up children, Ivy and Benjamin; and their little black dog, Bruce Wayne (who is not Seeing Eye material but Doris loves him anyway). Besides illustrating, Ms. Ettlinger teaches art classes at the mill and visits schools where she talks about her work and demonstrates her drawing technique.

You can view Doris Ettlinger's illustrations at her website: www.dorisettlinger.com For more information contact:

Doris Ettlinger
10 Imlaydale Road
Hampton, NJ 08827
908 537-6322

Esther Tews
The Book Garden
28 Bridge Street
Frenchtown, NJ 08825
908 996-2022
Website: BookGarden.biz

Teresa Davenport
Director of Communications
The Seeing Eye
P.O. Box 375
Morristown, NJ 07963
800 539-4425
Website: SeeingEye.org

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