Sharon Hanzik

Sharon Hanzik grew up in rural Southeast Texas exploring the local woods, prairies and waterways with her sisters and brother. A highlight of her childhood was the family vacations to national parks and other wilderness areas of North America. She enjoyed listening to park rangers as they taught visitors about the natural wonders. This prompted her career choice. She has spent a long career with Texas Park and Wildlife as a Natural History Interpreter where she interpreted the natural wonders of Brazos Bend State Park to people of all ages. She has since retired and is now pursuing her writing career. She also continues to explore America's wild places.

Story Time, one of her favorite programs to present, led her to try her hand at writing about wild animals. A lover of poetry, she wrote about several different animals, all in verse. Her first, Raccoons Don't Use Spoons was prompted by the comical and sometimes bizarre camper encounters with raccoons: "they opened our ice chest and ate our steaks!" "they unzipped our tent to get to our food" "I'd swear one of them was teaching the others what to do!" Her poem about raccoons first teaches about the natural history of the animal then moves into its abilities and then guidance about co-existing with wild animals.

After reading her poem to visitors, it was decided that it would make a great book. She plans to follow this work with books about opossums, river otters, owls, prairie dogs and tarantulas.