Squawk! Some parrots have a mind of their own – especially if their name is Cisco! Cisco is a witty and lively parrot ready to take on the world to get what he wants, and what he wants is to be famous in his fantastical town of Topopootl. Written in the form of a trilogy, each book within [amazon_link id=”B003XNTZVQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Viva Cisco[/amazon_link] features an adventure, where inevitably Cisco will stumble and create some silly mayhem. Written for kids aged 10 -13, both parents and children enjoy the hilarity of this crazy parrot and his all-animal community in Topopootl!

Written by Patrick Shannon, a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Viva Cisco is certain to entertain.

Please welcome Patrick to the Spotlight!

MCA: Welcome to the spotlight Patrick! Can you please tell us about what motivated you to create your book?
Patrick: I share that mental quirk possessed by other humorists:  constantly strolling the panorama of life for material. To us, the world is full of straight lines.  In the case of my book, Viva Cisco, it was the street sign in front of my home in New Mexico which read “Parrot Run.”  I thought that was a really dumb name for a street. What do parrots have to do with running?

So I decided to concoct an outrageous lie as to the origin of the name.  I would tell people that on that very spot, long before there were humans, the parrots used to migrate every four years to hold their Parrot Olympics.  Well, that conjured a mental picture of dozens of parrots, in little track suits, racing up and down my street. One of them – a little green parrot with a lot of attitude – started causing mayhem with his competitiveness.  That little guy became Cisco, and before I knew it, I had a book.

MCA: Now that you have an award-winning book, what are your goals for the next year?
Patrick: My promotional activities for Viva Cisco will have to involve fewer personal appearances. I have just observed my 80th birthday, and the mileage of an active and peripatetic life has left me somewhat lame.  Interviews, like a recent one on Montana television, will be gladly accepted though.

My main goal for next year is to continue my efforts at getting Viva Cisco made into animated films. I have sent copies of your award announcement to several animation firms, and I hope they will help penetrate that industry’s widespread refusal to consider any outside submittals.

MCA: Please name three ways your Mom’s Choice Award® will help you attain your goals.
Patrick: Merely distributing your announcement of my award has brought me:

1) An interview on the Great Falls, Montana CBS television channel, which was shared with their affiliate in Helena.
2) Newspaper announcements.
3) As mentioned above, I hope it will bring Viva Cisco to the attention of animators.

MCA: Can you share with us what you learned about yourself as a writer in creating your award-winning product?
Patrick: In all the years of trying to become an author, I kept hearing that I must find my “voice.”  In writing Viva Cisco, I finally found mine, and I discovered the joy of writing prose that was more authentic;  that would really connect with readers.

But I found that “voice” only by coming to terms with a paradox. To instill life into my narratives as well as my dialogues, I had to break many of the rules of grammar that had been so intensely drilled into me. But at the same time, I had to keep a firm grip on those rules so I would break them judiciously.

MCA: Since launching your book, what has been your most rewarding experience in promoting or sharing it with the public? Do you have a favorite memory?
Patrick: Well, your award, many favorable reviews, and television interviews are certainly sources of great pride, but I think my sweetest rewards came from two other sources. Feedback from kids who were within the book’s reading level who couldn’t put the book down.

Secondly, the feedback from mothers who had read the stories to their much younger children and who told me how delighted the little ones had been. One five-year-old was so taken with my little hero he changed the name of his stuffed parrot to “Cisco.” That one really got me.

MCA: As a new honoree, do you have any questions you’d like some of the “old hands” to answer for you?
Patrick: Yes.  If anyone can give me a tip on how to get an animation company to read Viva Cisco, I would be very grateful.  The major firms I contacted will accept neither queries nor books.  Pixar even rejected my query letter that simply asked if I might send a query letter!

Mom’s Choice Awards® Honors

[amazon_link id=”B003XNTZVQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link] [amazon_link id=”B003XNTZVQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link] by Patrick Shannon
Outskirt Press, 2011
Juvenile Level 2 – Humor – Silver 2011

Contact, Connect and Network with Patrick

The Alumni Spotlight is a periodic feature on the official Mom’s Choice Awards® blog. It is part of our ongoing effort to “shine the spotlight” on you and your award-winning, family-friendly products, services, and media.