Patti Gay's "Animals Must Be" is now available on the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles websites.

Animals Must Be, a children’s e-book by Illustration alumna Patti Gay (CCAD 1979), is now available on the Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites.

“This has been in the works for a while, and was a (rather long) labor of love,” Gay wrote on her blog, Patti’s Page.  “I enjoy painting animals, and this book is full of them. A special thanks goes to my wonderful writing critique group.”

Animals Must Be is a 195 word picture book written for children between the ages of three and six years old. It tells the story of a group of friendly animals who notice they are being observed while playing in the park. Each animal tries to discern what is watching them, gathering their ideas from their own unique characteristics.

Gay was recently featured on a design blog for her other children’s e-book, Amanda & Max Friends. Learn more about Gay on her website.

"Amanda and Max, Friends" is available on all e-readers.

“I have become an e-book convert, and I am very excited to announce my first children’s e-book picture book, called Amanda and Max, Friends,” said Illustration alumna Patti Gay (CCAD 1979) in an interview with design blogger Kate Harper.

Gay continued, “Although I still love the feel of a real book in my hands, I can see the advantage of having a reading device instead. If you are traveling with a child, it’s great to have several books in an e-reader instead of dragging a stack of them around with you. It is just a different reading experience.”

Amanda and Max, Friends is about an orange tabby cat and a wee dachshund pup exploring what it means to be a friend. Each page is written and illustrated to give both child and parent a grin. Amanda and Max are also blogging. Follow them here.

Gay’s experience as an art director at Portal Publications helped to give her a good feel for the gift industry. She has done illustration work for cards, gift bags, mugs, stickers, clings, stationery, plates and gift wrap for a wide variety of clients. She has also done illustrations for children’s books, magazines and advertising promotions.

Read the entire interview here.

And to learn more about Gay, visit her website.