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Dr. Christopher Jespersen , dean of the University of North Georgia (°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾) College of Arts and Letters, knew that publishing a children's book would require an entirely different style of writing from his usual academic style.

"I write academic books or scholarly articles for academic journals. In those instances, I don't employ rhyming couplets as that, for some reason, is frowned upon in academia, although I cannot understand why," he said. "I can say that whether writing for academic purposes or for a children's book, you do have to perform some research. The experience was fun; I learned more than I expected about places in the state."

"Georgia ABCs" tells the story of two brown thrashers, Nash and Nell, as they look for Milo, the playful dog who likes to hide. On their journey, Nash and Nell explore Georgia and learn about animals in the state.

Self-taught artist Josie Vrooman Toney, an administrative specialist at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾, wanted to capture the beauty of the state through her illustrations.

"I was influenced by my own fond memories of many of the places and scenes throughout the book," she said. "As a native Georgian and sixth-generation Atlantan, I visited most of the places as a child with my parents and as a parent with my own family. Several times, we have canoed and camped in the Okefenokee Swamp near Folkston, just one of the many sites included in the book."

"Georgia ABCs" is the first book in a state-themed series planned by Jespersen and Toney. A Spanish translation of "Georgia ABCs" also is in the works.

For more information and purchasing options, visit the University Press website.