What I Saw on Mackinac
A Counting Book by Jennifer Margaret Powell

What I Saw on Mackinac is a uniquely illustrated book that teaches counting while at the same time incorporates a bit of Mackinac history. It's a rhyming book that counts from 1-10 and relates the counting to historial landmarks in Mackinac. What I Saw on Mackinac is a great book for kids ages 2-6.

One thing I really liked about the book is that when it mentions a historical landmark in the rhyme, it follows the rhyme with a little history lesson. For example, on the 1 counting page it reads:
"I saw...one building with a long porch, it was dressed all in white. The Grand Hotel with columns and flags is a well known site. 1" Then it finishes with more about the hotel, "The Grand Hotel was built in 1887. It has the longest summer front porch in the world at 880 feet."

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I interviewed the author of What I Saw on Mackinac, Jennifer Margaret Powell, to find out more. Here's the interview:

OaklandCountyMoms: Where did you grow up as a child?
Jennifer Margaret Powell: All over! I was born in Louisiana, spent time in Royal Oak, Lake Orion, California...

OaklandCountyMoms: When did you realized you wanted to write?
Jennifer Margaret Powell: I have been wanting to do a children's book for a long time - ever since I was teaching. I taught 2nd-8th grade for 14 years. When I stopped teaching after having a baby, I started to write.

OaklandCountyMoms: Is this your first piece, if not... are all your books about Michigan?
Jennifer Margaret Powell: This is my first and I'm working on a second. The next book is not going to be about Michigan. It is still a children's book with the same type of collage art. I do the art myself. The art came first and the writing followed to go with the pictures. I have been doing art for as long as I can remember. My mom used to take me to the summer art programs at Cranbrook when I was a kid.

OaklandCountyMoms: Is being an author your full time job?
Jennifer Margaret Powell: Yes, and my kids too! Mother first.

OaklandCountyMoms: Tell me more about the collage style art you use.
Jennifer Margaret Powell: It's ripped and torn and cut up paper that was collected from all over. Relatives and friends send me paper and I also collect paper from all over the US. I use bright colors that appeal to kids. I chose collage art because there was already a lot of different mediums out there. So for the Mackinac Island book, I wanted to do art that was recognized but kids could put their own thoughts into it too.

You can learn more about What I Saw on Mackinac at the Mackinac Straits Publishing website.