What’s In a Name? by Elaine A. Powers, Author

What do you think of when you hear the name Tabby?  Do you think of tabby cats? Those domestic cats that have distinctive stripes, spots, or swirls on their coats.

Or maybe you have a friend named Tabitha and she’s called Tabby for short.

One of the new characters in my books with Bahamian wildlife themes is named Tabby.  Scott Johnson, her creator, named her that, so it isn’t my fault.

An illustration of an African-American woman, with a warm demeanor and attractive smile. She has a green headband and dangling earrings. She is called Tabby, the Five-Finger Fairy
Tabby, the Five-Finger Fairy, loves animals and humans alike. She likes to make a difference for others.

I showed a friend in Nassau my new book “Tabby and Cleo: Unexpected Friends.” She looked at the cover and her expression was not what I expected.  She’s liked my books in the past, but her face communicated dismay and concern.  She tentatively opened the cover and turned a few pages.

A smile erupted and she exclaimed, “Tabebuia! Of course!” She noted my confused expression and explained. “When I read Tabby, I thought of tabby cats and I didn’t want to read a story about cats.  How delightful that Tabby is a Five Finger Fairy.”

To be honest, I never once thought of tabby cats when I wrote the story.  Hopefully, soon everyone will know of Tabby, the Five Finger Fairy, from the Bahamas. She was introduced in the adventure tale, “Tabby and Cleo: Unexpected Friends.”

Cleo, a Bahamian boa, one of the most misunderstood animals of The Bahamas, rescues Tabby, a Five-Finger Fairy. In trying to find Cleo a safe place to live, this unlikely pair help each other and the people they meet. Tabby loves Bahamian wildlife, Bahamian bush teas, and making friends with both animals and humans alike. This book focuses on important conservation issues that threaten Bahamian wildlife, such as wildlife smuggling, habitat loss, invasive species and human intolerance of animals such as snakes and spiders.

A bright green children's book cover, showing a Five-Fingered Fairy riding a Bahamian Boa

Tabby will also be introducing the land animals of the Bahamas in a series of picture books, filled with scientific information, called the Tabby Tales.  The first Tabby Tale is about Bahamian boas, about the fascinating boa constrictors native to the islands.

A children's book cover, brown background, orange and yellow lettering, with images of snakes from the Bahamas
BAHAMIAN BOAS: A TABBY TALE Now Available at Amazon

 

 

CURTIS CURLY-TAIL COMES ALIVE ON YOU TUBE!a curly tail lizard on a bahamian beach with blue sky and ocean, sand and green plants
Elaine A Powers Author Conservationalist Biologist
Click Image to Hear “Don’t Call Me Turtle!”image of woman reading book at tucson botanical gardens
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