Feature Story & Photos by Larry H. Oskin
At just 10 years old, Anna Maria Padoan has recently emerged as a successful locally published author and artist. Inspired by her parents as well as her grandparents Arthur and Judy Padoan in Clermont, she has learned how to write and how to get published.
As a young girl, her grandmother Judy would help her read one new book each day. She would take Anna Maria at least twice each week to the Clermont Cooper Memorial Library, where she taught Anna Maria how to read and write while attending entertaining and educationally-based storytelling sessions in their Children’s Library. Her ‘Pop-Pop’ grandfather Arthur Padoan is a published author who noticed Anna Maria’s creative writing skills. He coached her through the process of story editing to get her own book published.
The Marvelous Ladybug: Anna Maria Padoan asks, “What do you get when you mix a ladybug and a growth portion? You can now read all about the adventures and survival of the marvelous ladybug!” She shares, “Why Lady Bugs? They give us good luck for the future!” In addition to Anna Maria’s whimsical storytelling, she also drew the majority of the illustrations shown in her book, while her mother assisted. She has a passion for illustrating and drawing happy families.
Mom Katie and Dad Chris Padoan share, “The inspiration for ‘The Marvelous Ladybug’ book came to Anna Maria one school night after dinner while we were helping her younger sister with her homework. This 8-month project was started during the beginning of the Covid pandemic when our girls were doing virtual school. We were mostly self-isolated from our extended family and friends. Anna Maria really likes ladybugs and believes they bring good luck. So, she was hoping that the ladybug would bring good luck for Covid to end soon. Anna Maria also really enjoys writing and has been inspired by all of her grandparents, some of whom are published authors!”
Anna Maria Padoan is finishing up the 5th grade at Lake Whitney Elementary School in nearby Winter Garden. She was Captain of the ‘Battle of the Books’ team for Lake Whitney which won 1st place in a Florida State competition for West Orange County learning community. She really enjoyed reading all fifteen of the Florida Sunshine State books and closely training with her teammates in preparation for the state competition. She was also recently nominated by her teacher and will be receiving the West Orange Chamber of Commerce S.O.A.R ‘Students of Achievement and Renown Award’, which is an award of merit, recognizing students who have shown initiative, good citizenship, commitment and personal growth in the classroom.
Anna Maria notes, “I love reading!” My future goals include writing and illustrating more children’s books”. She wants to spread the gift of reading to other children. She also wants to become a musician, actor, rocket scientist, astronaut, and a mom.
Anna Maria has recently been published in a book ‘Greatest Artists’ featuring artists of all ages. While featuring one of her detailed drawings entitled, ‘First Day at School’, Author Geny Heywood, noted, “Anna Maria is a young energetic artist who lives in Florida. She is an enthusiastic painter, aspiring writer and a passionate musician.” Her next books will be ‘The Adventures of a Lady Bug in a Small World’ as well as a book about chickens in sneakers. Grandfather Arthur Padoan notes, “I am really very proud of her passion and long-term commitment to take her inspired vision into a reality with her first published book. She remains dedicated to helping other children of the world with her future books!”
Clermont’s Cooper Memorial Library has a Ladybug Book Festival planned for late May, where you can check out or read ‘The Marvelous Ladybug’.
‘The Marvelous Ladybug’ is now available for sale internationally through LuLu at: www.LuLu.com.
