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Date: 7/1/2022
PALMER – “Beetle Ballet,” the story of dancing dung beetles, was recently published by award-winning illustrator Michelle DeMarco.
DeMarco, a Three Rivers resident, has now published seven books in a little over two years.
She told Reminder Publishing that a lot of the books she writes and illustrates have a connection to nature.
“Inspiration comes to me,” she said.
Upon doing research, DeMarco learned that dung beetles use the Milky Way to find their way home. “They don’t see actual stars - they see the [whole Milky Way],” she said.
DeMarco went on to say, “Due to light pollution, dung beetle numbers are decreasing because they can’t make it home in time.” As a result, they are picked off by larger species such as birds.
Through a scientific study, DeMarco said the discovery is that if the Milky Way is visible, the dung beetles are able to find their way home.
Because of the beetle’s shiny outer shell, DeMarco decided to focus her story on them “dancing in the light,” creating a luminous effect, she shared.
Throughout the rhyming picture book, DeMarco said she played with the light, including streetlights and stop lights. “The beetles get lost and can’t find their home,” she added.
DeMarco noted that all of the dung beetle names in the book are “gender-neutral” including Skylar, Phoenix and Kai, to name a few.
As the story goes on, DeMarco said the beetles learn that if they all dance together and use the light, the birds will not prey on them.
She continued by saying, “[I’m] not happy that we have light pollution but bringing knowledge about it in a fun way” is important.
While some stories may be challenging for children, DeMarco thinks this is one that they will understand. The 32-page book is targeted towards children ages two to five.
When working on a book, DeMarco said the images come to her first and easily, whereas the writing takes longer. Prior to being an author and illustrator, she worked as a visual communicator.
“I have been a professional artist all my life,” said DeMarco. “I had galleries in New York, but I stepped away from that. I thought, ‘What could I do to help the next generation?’”
The answer was to “help foster creativity and empower imaginations,” she said.
Currently, DeMarco is working on a book that has no words. Her first publication, “Growing Feathers,” was also wordless. “For little kids, they look at a picture book and tell a story and tell [the] story a different way every time,” said DeMarco.
“Beetle Ballet,” among the other stories, was published through LlamaGoose Studios in Three Rivers.
DeMarco explained that LlamaGoose has two “veins” including children’s picture books and adult coloring books. The studio only does print on demand.
DeMarco owns the studio, as a sole proprietorship. She said they currently have about five authors from all over who publish through the studio. DeMarco noted that everything is done digitally. Right now, DeMarco said they are “building the brand” as LlamaGoose blends art studio and publishing.
“Beetle Ballet” can be found on Amazon. The paperback costs $11.50 and the Kindle version is $9.99.
Although Amazon is a “great retail space,” DeMarco said they are working to expand distribution.
Since Beetle Ballet’s release in early June, DeMarco noted that the books are selling as the online reports are increasing.
LlamaGoose Studios can be found on Instagram at @llamagoosestudios and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/llamagoosestudios. Additional information can be found on their website at https://www.llamagoosestudios.com/.
DeMarco also has a blog that can be found at https://www.llamagoosestudios.com/blog.