flyover state. There are no beaches and
no mountains, and if you want to see
what most people think as gorgeous
Nebraska, you get off of Interstate 80.
But if you want to see one of the most
beautiful, magical spectacles in the
world, you stay right on Interstate 80.
The state has such a nice mix. I really
thought by working with Mike we
could show how beautiful the birds are
and hopefully get people to care about
the species.
There are little messages throughout
both books as well: how hard migration
is for these birds throughout the middle
of the continent – the Central Flyway,
and with that, being able to weave
a story with some natural history of
these birds as well. After reading these
books, kids who have never seen a
sandhill crane should be able to pass a
basic test about them. Where are they
roosting? What do they eat? Are they a
communal bird or are they isolated?
Did you do the kid-review process
this time like you did with your other
two books?
Yes, I asked a bunch of questions to
teachers and students in the Conestoga,
Papillion and Gretna public school
districts. Then I worked with my own
kids as well. The kid process is huge
because they are so honest with their
opinions.
What was the most difficult part of
writing and how long did it take you
to write "John"?
I started writing the book in March
of 2012 while visiting Rowe Sanctuary.
Then, over the next few years, I
continued to work on it to make sure
that every scene – because you don't
have a lot of them – was important
and concise, which is always the most
difficult part for me. ■
To order, visit haveyouseenmary.com,
nebraskapress.unl.edu/books or your
local bookstore.
MARCH 2018 • NEBRASKAland 35
PHOTOS
BY
MICHAEL
FORSBERG
