Author & Illustrator Carla Mayernick
Carla, lives in the historic US Route 66 small town of Girard, IL. Born and raised in the "Land of Lincoln", she honors Abe Lincoln's legacy and the documented history that her great-great-grandfather housed Abe on his farm in McLean County during his circuit rides. Carla has an art degree from Western Illinois University and has illustrated two other children's books from George the Rooster series. Writing poetry since a child, honoring people and events has been a talent… owning her own business and becoming a grandmother to three special little boys is her life's dream. Carla is most grateful to her family: Shawn for inspiration and marketing, Gigi for help with illustrations and John for his editing and publishing skills. "Teamwork to make a Dream work!" Where Is Abe? is dedicated to my family, especially her grandsons: Pierce, Palmer and Beau.
Where I found Abe.
In the summer of 2014, in a conversation with my son Shawn, he said: "Hey mom, you should write a children’s book about Abe Lincoln, illustrating all the sites around Springfield!”
I thought to myself. “Hmmm... could be a need and how timely to write the book in honor of the 150th Anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's Assassination. Within minutes after talking to my son, a poem came to me! Maybe, just maybe, this little inspiration was meant to be...”
Growing up in the Land of Lincoln, I have always been fascinated with Abe and loved all the field trips to Lincoln’s historical places. Just recently I discovered that I had a personal link to Abe: we found my Great Aunt’s genealogy book dating back to the 1300’s in Scotland. The family left Scotland for America in 1725. One descendent, George McNaught, moved with his wife in 1841 to a farm in McLean County Illinois. George and wife Nancy are my Great-Great-Great-Grandparents. George and Nancy regularly housed Abe, together with the lawyers and judges traveling with the 8th Judicial Circuit. During the 1840s and 1850s, the McNaught family became personal friends with all those riding the Circuit including Abe Lincoln!
On one of Abe’s frequent visits he tutored one of the younger McNaught sons, Joseph, using a “letter board.” Amazing what you learn when you search history, whether it’s about your family or a Springfield lawyer “who belongs to the ages.”
So I dusted off the paint brushes and started painting! Thanks to my daughter, Gigi, for her tremendous artwork, John, my husband, for his publishing skills and Shawn, my son, for the inspiration, but most of all, thank the Lord for the ability to pursue this aspiration of writing Where is Abe?
I hope you enjoy the book and find Abe in places you haven't looked before. Maybe you will find Abe in your “Family History Book”!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for purchasing my work,
Carla