For the Midnight the cow, it was a lesson learned By SUSAN D. BRANDENBURG

While the author read her children's book, young actors brought it all to life.

My Mandarin Sun

October 13, 2007

With her big cowbell swinging from side to side, Midnight the Cow stepped carefully among the dozen or so children seated on the floor in front of her bale of hay and her bucket of grain. She was eager to begin munching down, but Sheldon, the brown and white goat, got there first.

"'Moooooooooooooo," said Midnight excitedly. "Hey, Sheldon! Why are you eating my food?'"

Giggles erupted from the children as they listened recently to St. Augustine author Karen Putzke read her book Midnight the Cow Learns About Sharing at the Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Mandarin while a trio of actors brought the main characters to life.

Douglas Anderson School of the Arts students Lizzie Baer, 15, and Kylie White, 18, played Midnight the Cow and Sheldon the goat, respectively, while 5-year-old Kayla Putzke (daughter of the author) played Betty, the pot-bellied pig.

As Putzke turned the colorful pages of the book, Lara Lombardo sat next to her watching the faces of children light up. Diagnosed at age 2 with autism, Lombardo is the talented teenager who illustrated Putzke's book. Lombardo's whimsical illustrations reflect a lifetime of expressing herself through the medium of art.

Putzke and Lombardo met at Hope Haven Children's Clinic and Family Center on the Southside, where Putzke is an education specialist and Lombardo is a student.

"I was so impressed by Lara's unique, innocent style. It was perfect for my book," said Putzke, whose character Midnight the Cow emerged from bed-time stories told to her young daughter.

The artistic ability displayed by the autistic teen brought the book to the attention of the HEAL Foundation (Healing Every Autistic Life) last summer. Organizers of the first HEAL fundraiser, held in July at the new TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, invited Putzke and Lombardo to attend the gala and sign complimentary copies of Midnight the Cow for the 400-plus guests.

Since that time, a portion of all book sales, including the books sold at Barnes & Noble for the Sept. 22 author event, benefit the HEAL Foundation.

As the lively reading came to an end, the author and illustrator joined the characters on stage to take a bow and announce the winner of a drawing for a free book. Jack Swingle, 6, of Mandarin, had the winning number.

"Jack is so excited. This has been fun!" declared his mother, Catherine Swingle, adding that they heard about the Midnight the Cow event on www.Jax4kids.com, a Web site featuring local opportunities for children.

Later, as the author and illustrator signed books and children created Midnight the Cow stick puppets to take home, Putzke talked of the next book in their series, Midnight the Cow Learns About Cooperation, slated for publication in 2008.

"Lara and I have lots of ideas for more books," Putzke said. "Her positive outlook and talent are so inspiring."

Meet Putzke and Lombardo at their next book reading, which will feature a puppet interaction, at the Character Counts Book Fair, Barnes & Noble, St. Johns Town Center, from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26. For more information on upcoming book signings or on supporting the HEAL Foundation, visit www.midnightthecow.com.

This story can be found on Jacksonville.com at
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/101307/ner_207480041.shtml.

For information on the HEAL Foundation's Valley of Dreams event, call 285-5651.

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