A Christmas Fable, written by Joan Carter, was a favorite that she read to her family every Christmas Eve. In the story, the woodland animals come from near and far to hear Saint Nickolas tell of the amazing events that occurred the night Jesus was born. After Joan passed away, her daughter and granddaughter decided to publish this lovely story in honor of Joan and all the wonderful memories they have of her. In choosing the illustrator, Joan’s granddaughter went in search of an artist that specialized in nature and animal art. Local New Hampshire artist Susan Monty took on the project with great enthusiasm!

“I actually used the barred owls who visit my yard as the models for the book’s owl. I keep a camera handy and photograph all the creatures who pass through or who live in my woods. I used these photos and the pages in my nature journal to create the characters in the illustrations. Some, like the moose, bears, and coyotes are from visits to Pittsburg, New Hampshire, or to the Squam Lake Science Center. As an animal artist, one of the most challenging parts of the project was depicting the people in the story. I used my dad, Stanley Mackey, as the model for St. Nickolas. He loved animals, too, and I felt this was a fitting tribute to him.”

Get your illustrator-signed copy of beautifully written and illustrated A Christmas Fable at the Andover Thrift and Gift Shop during the month of December, located next to the Andover Elementary/Middle School, Andover. Shop hours are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10 AM to 4 PM, and Saturdays from 10 AM to 2 PM.