It's the 1940's in the magical far away land of Harlem-- Well, maybe not so magical for eighteen-year-old Marguerite La Bowie. She’s the protagonist of my book "Fish Out of Water". It's a 1066 word count, character-driven picture book written in verse.
Meg’s a hopeful jazz age Cinderella who slaves away as a fishmonger working for her big bad uncle Earl because she's too timid to pursue what her heart yearns to do; be a trumpet player. like her hero the great Satchmo himself. Unfortunately, when her animal pals, a dog, three birds and a rat she named Ratt, attempt to help her enter a nightclub contest for a big band leader, her world comes crashing down around her. It's only then that a little magic points the way for this fish out of water