Come listen to a diverse but delightful double bill here at The powerHouse Arena: In Meadowlands, Thomas F. Yezerski teaches us about the slow but steady recovery of New Jersey's wetlands; Diane Kredensor's zany characters gambol through the streets of Paris in Ollie & Moon.

About Meadowlands:

The 20,000 acres of wetlands in New Jersey now known as the Meadowlands were once home to hundreds of species of plants and animals. But in the four hundred years since European explorers first arrived in the Meadowlands, people have dammed up, drained, built over, and polluted this formerly vibrant ecosystem—and all but destroyed it. Still, signs of life remain—under bridges, on the edges of parking lots, and beside train tracks. Slowly but surely, with help from activist groups, government organizations, and ordinary people, the resilient creatures of the Meadowlands are making a comeback, and the wetlands are recovering.

About Ollie & Moon:

Ollie and Moon are best friends, and Ollie loves surprising Moon almost as much as Moon loves guessing Ollie's surprises. Today, Ollie has the best surprise yet for Moon, and she can't wait to guess what it is! As they gambol through the streets of Paris, hints about the surprise accumulate every step of the way. Will Moon guess Ollie's surprise before they reach it? Tickled readers will be guessing right alongside Moon!

Ollie & Moon's distinctive art style features Diane's bold, stylized characters superimposed atop Sandra Kress's charming photographs of Paris. French words and landmarks add to the fun. This delightful friendship story will keep readers laughing as they join Ollie and Moon on their cumulative guessing game through the City of Light.

About the Authors:

Tom Yezerski started writing about his Polish and Irish immigrant heritage in 1994, and in 1998 that story became his first published book, Together in Pinecone Patch. Family is one of his favorite themes, and it continued with Queen of the World and A Full Hand, about his sisters and father, respectively. Nine other books carry Tom's illustration credit, as well as three stories in Cricket and a poster for the Children's Book Council.

Besides writing and illustrating children's books, Tom likes vegetarian cooking and running marathons. He also loves to visit schools to tell children about how a kid who likes to read and draw can become a published author and illustrator. These days, when friends come over to ask him to play, he doesn't hide so he can stay in and draw—usually.

Diane Kredensor is an Emmy Award-winning artist and has worked on such hit shows as Pinky and the Brain, Hey Arnold!, Oswald, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Stanley, and WordWorld, to name a few. She recently started her own animation production company called Tricycle Films. Ollie & Moon may be their first show!

Diane makes her home in Brooklyn, NY, with her three loves—two of whom bear a passing resemblance to Ollie and Moon. She was inspired to write and illustrate Ollie & Moon, her first children's book, because of her love of friendship, her love of travel, and, of course, her love of cheese!