"Where is the World is The Canal Zone" is an historical coloring book ideal for children in grades 1-3. Children can have fun while learning a bit of geography and history of the former American territory known as the Canal Zone, Isthmus of Panama.
The historical highlights of this color-and-learn book span 5 centuries of discovery and development of the "Crossroads of the World." Cultural diversity is represented in original coloring images while keeping the history of Central America's exploration and development family-friendly.
The coloring book is the creation of two artists who were born and raised in the Canal Zone. Artist Edward J. Husum III and graphic designer Loreen Ridge-Husum are descendants of Roosevelt Medal Holders, which were American employees who worked in the Canal Zone for at least two years prior to the end of 1914. Their families lived in the Canal Zone until the late 1970's. Edward and Loreen took great care to base their renderings on historical fact as well as personal memories of their former homeland.
Loreen Ridge-Husum was born and raised on the Atlantic side of the former Canal Zone territory, Isthmus of Panama. Her ancestors moved to the Canal Zone as early as 1908 and held various jobs relating to the construction and operation of the Panama Canal. Loreen attended Cristobal High School, where she was the yearbook editor and a member of the National Honor Society.
Loreen earned a B.A. Degree in Mass Communications at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. While attending Winthrop, she worked on the student newspaper as a typist, news editor, and managing editor, and wrote press releases as a student assistant for the Winthrop Public Affairs Office.
During her college years, Loreen's father retired and moved away from the Canal Zone due to the reduction in force (RIF) of U.S. employees as a result of the Treaty with Panama in the late 1970s. She returned to her homeland 36 years later, shortly after the canal expansion was completed. In the meantime, she raised a daughter and a son, both born in the United States.
Loreen is married to Ed Husum's brother Ray. At Ray's encouragement, Loreen returned to school in 2016 to study Graphic Design at Greenville Technical College, graduating with honors in December 2018. Loreen is a Visual Arts tutor at Greenvile Tech and a member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA). She is also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and serves as the yearbook editor of her local DAR chapter. She and Ray live in West Pelzer, South Carolina, where she enjoys gardening, genealogy, and the perpetual pursuit of design inspiration.
