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by Patricia Neely-Dorsey (Author), Brenda Ragsdale (Illustrator)
Adapted from the poem Meet My Mississippi by Patricia Neely-Dorsey, the Meet My Mississippi children's book is an EXCELLENT EDUCATIONAL TOOL AND FUN LITERARY TOUR GUIDE FILLED WITH INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT MISSISSIPPI, it is a wonderful way to share love and knowledge of Mississippi across generations. The book showcases some of the best that Mississippi has to offer in a kid-friendly format. It's perfect for kids from 8 to 80 The reader will explore Mississippi landmarks and legends through poetic verse while enjoying colorful illustrations by a Mississippi artist. The author invites EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE to KNOW More About Mississippi, LEARN More About Mississippi and LOVE More About Mississippi
Patricia Neely-Dorsey is a 1982 graduate of Tupelo High School in Tupelo, Mississippi. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts. Her first book of poetry, Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems was published in February 2008. Her second book of poetry, My Magnolia Memories and Musings- In Poems was published in February 2012. Her third book "Mississippi In Me" was published in January 2017. She calls her books a "celebration of the south and things southern". Through her poems, the author attempts to give a more positive view of Mississippi and the South, rather than all the negatives usually portrayed.
In 2015, Patricia received a proclamation in her honor from Governor Phil Bryant declaring her as an Official Goodwill Ambassador for the state. Her slogan is "Always, Always Celebrating the South and Promoting a Positive Mississippi." Her poem "Meet My Mississippi " was submitted for consideration as the official state poem in the 2016, 2017, and 2018 legislative sessions. Several of Patricia's Mississippi poems are included on t-shirts of the Southern Belle T-shirt Company line in her continuing efforts to Promote a Positive Mississippi. Patricia currently lives in Tupelo with her husband James. They have one son, James Henry.
Brenda Ragsdale is a self- taught freelance artist who lives in Guntown, Mississippi. Brenda attended Guntown Elementary School and Guntown Middle School. She is a graduate of Saltillo High School. She is married to Jeff Ragsdale. They have two sons, three daughters and fourteen grandchildren. The artist states, "This book was my first time using the medium of watercolors. I was always a little afraid of it, but it turned out beautifully "Mississippi is such a beautiful state and it has contributed so much more than most people know."
