Welcome to Tales and Tails. I am Curtis Curly-tail, the very special lizard who launched Elaine’s career as the author of science-based children’s books–and now, she’s expanding to include science books for adults! Elaine has asked me to share my point of view and I’m very happy to have a place to write about what it’s like to be a lizard. I may even interview a few of my other reptile friends and tell their stories, too. Stay tuned!
But for now, Elaine has asked me to tell how her first book came to be–and, yes, it is all because of ME! Here is the true story:
When your tail is perfectly curled, you are asked to pose for a lot of pictures. But I, Curtis Curly-tail, wanted MORE—I wanted adventure, communication, friendship . . . STARDOM!
I needed a very special human, one who could see AND hear me. And there she finally was! Sitting on the beach, near my den! I scampered over to her and her friends. Out came the cameras. I posed for a few typical shots—turning this way and that, sunlight glinting off my scales, showing off my perfectly-curled tail to my best advantage.
They were smitten! I climbed onto my new friend’s sneaker and looked up at her. Using a mind-meld technique (for over two hours, I might add) I was able to send her one of my adventures! And she “got” it!
I didn’t go back with her to the ship—I’d been there and done that—but I knew when she got back to her cabin, being a writer, that she would have to sit and type up my story.
Several months later, a mother and child sat near my den on a blanket, under an umbrella. She was reading a children’s book to her young child. It was my story! There I was on the cover of the book, entitled Curtis Curly-tail and the Ship of Sneakers.
I jumped for joy! My dream had come true! I would be famous! Curly-tails would make way for me when I cruised the beach. I would finally find my mate! My photos would be enlarged to poster-sized and hang in children’s bedrooms. Maybe they would rename Warderick Wells Cay after me!
~ “Excuse me. Curtis?” Elaine butted into my fantasies.
“Elaine! This is my part of the blog!”
~ “I know, but you were getting carried away. You actually are pretty famous, but they will never rename the cay after you. Isn’t having your own You Tube channel pretty spectacular?”
“It is!”
~ “And isn’t being a lizard that dictates his thoughts to a human who can hear him pretty awesome?”
“Yes, Elaine.”
~ “Okay, then, my little friend, let’s wrap this up.”
“I will. You can go now.”
~ “I sure can.”
Humans are so bossy! Oops, sorry. I didn’t mean every human.
Welcome to Tales and Tails, where we focus on reptiles, fun and adventure—oh, and science books, too. Of course!
