DRIFTLESS - Jane Schmidt’s newest children’s book, ‘Finnegan’s Springtime Guide,’ once again features her rat-terrier-mix buddy Finnegan as narrator. He invites the children on a search for spring and helps them discover bluebells, morels, spring beauties, turkey vultures, Sandhill cranes, and more. Finn encourages the children to use their senses—look for bloodroots, smell skunk cabbage, and listen for spring peepers. The book includes a ‘Now You Know’ section of interesting facts about each discovery, a glossary, and some pages on which children can write their own field notes.

Finnegan’s Springtime Guide is a full-color book with photographs taken locally by the author in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve.

“It’s an interactive book that inspires children to get outside and explore nature,” Schmidt explains.

Schmidt, owner-operator of Fitness Choices, has touched many people, both participants in her workouts and readers of her award-winning newspaper column, ‘Jane’s World,’ with her gift for telling a good story. Following on the success of her 2016 book, ‘Not a Perfect Fit: Stories from Jane’s World,’ published by She Writes Press, Jane published a delightful book for children in 2017, ‘Finnegan’s Superior Adventure,; in which Finnegan recounts a trip on the Superior Hiking Trail with his Grandma Riley (aka Jane).

Schmidt plans to complete a series of six children’s books that encourage children to enjoy the great outdoors—although she mentioned that her other dog, Téte, is longing to be featured in a book!

About the Author: Jane Schmidt, owner of Fitness Choices, has been offering fitness classes throughout Vernon County and beyond for over 16 years. More recently she started Turtle Adventures, guiding backpacking trips for women. Her weekly column, ‘Jane’s World,’ appearing in the Crawford County Independent and Kickapoo Scout, won a first place award in the Wisconsin Newspaper Association’s 2013 Better Newspaper Contest. When not writing or teaching fitness classes, Jane spends time backpacking in places like the Grand Canyon and Isle Royale, biking across Wisconsin, hiking and kayaking in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve, or just hanging out with her animal family in rural Viola, Wisconsin.

For more information about ‘Finnegan’s Springtime Guide’ please contact Jane Schmidt at 608-625-6230 or jane@janesfitnesschoices.com.