In the SPOT light! A tale of a 'tail' based on a true story

This is a story about Spot, a friendly 10-foot-long boa constrictor and his buddy and owner, Sam. The story begins on 4th of July, when Sam was enjoying the beautiful day and thought Spot might enjoy celebrating the day with him. Sam lifted Spot out of his habitat and brought him outside to hang out in the tree above him while he relaxed and enjoyed reading a book. Unfortunately Sam fell asleep and when he woke up, he discovered Spot was missing. He was in a panic. Where would he possibly be? Sam looked everywhere for Spot, checking with neighbors and walking through the neighborhood into the night but didn't find him. Sam had to go to work the next day so he put Spot's habitat outside in the hope that he would find his way home. But when Sam returned, Spot was not there. Sam was very sad. He sat down that evening to watch the news and was ecstatic to discover that Spot was the lead story! He had been found in a garden center 8 miles away? But how did he get there? Steve had to overcome multiple obstacles to prove Spot was his but eventually he was able to convince the animal control officer that Spot was in fact, his boa buddy. In the meantime, the story of Spot's escape had made the national news. Sam and Spot became the news again, but this time with a happy ending.

This is a multi-age level book that captures the curiosity of children ages 5 and up. The story line is simple and engaging for younger children, while prompting many questions for older children to ponder. By scanning the QR code at the end of the story with the camera of any mobile device, young readers will find the answers to the questions posed throughout the book. They can also download pages from the book to color, and play digital games that were created using the illustrations in the book.

Susan Dutch has been writing stories since she was a young girl, which eventually led her to a career as a journalist. Although many of her articles, columns and blogs have been published in magazines, newspapers, and on various digital platforms, this is her first accomplishment as a book author.
Using her treasured role as 'Nana' to 7 grandchildren, along with her expertise in educational and digital marketing, she came up with the idea to create a book suitable for multiple age groups.
While younger children can enjoy the storyline and illustrations in her books, older children can use the camera of a mobile device to scan the QR code at the end of the story to learn more, adding a multi-level educational component to her stories.
Susan and her husband, Bill divide their time between Upstate New York and Naples, Florida.

Ethan Kocak is an illustrator and salamander enthusiast who lives in Upstate New York. He illustrated the New York Times Bestseller "Does it Fart?" and its sequels. He is available for commissions. Go to www.ethankocak.com to connect.