Wyoming Author Leslie Colburn Releases Her Eighth Children's Book

Wyoming has an incredibly talented art scene. There are painters, sculptors, sketchers, photographers, musicians, songwriters, chefs, actors, and writers. With such a small total population and a large artist population, the ratio is crazy. According to research, it's about 1 artist to every 65-70 non-artists. I'm no mathematician, but that's a lot of artists who call Wyoming home.

I've been lucky enough in this radio business to become friends with many of the artists, including children's author Leslie Colburn. Leslie has written seven kids' books that are inspirational, fun, and perfect for kids of all ages. Her new book, Jilly Goat, comes out on September 1.

The book is about Jilly, a goat who faints every time she gets frightened. Because of that, all of the other goats make fun of her, eat her oats, and don't include her in activities. Jilly Goat just wants to fit in and have friends, and because of perseverance, she keeps getting back up every time she falls down.

The story of Jilly Goat was inspired by Leslie's mother, Jill, a teacher in Casper for many years and a very special lady who taught Leslie that in life, we can fall down. We can laugh or cry, but in the end we always get back up.

Definitely a story that we all need to be reminded of as we try to navigate through life. Especially the kids who are trying to keep their heads up and keep moving forward each day.

You can pre-order Jilly Goat at Wind City Books in Downtown Casper, at LeslieColburn.com, or you can pick it up at a special book launch and open house on September 1 at The Cottage Cafe.

The event will be held from 4-7:30 p.m., with snacks, prizes, and a special guest goat for kids to pet.