On November 21, 2023, the library hosted a book signing of
Jungle O’s, by William A. Thompson. Thompson, a fifth generation Texan, is a renaissance man. Throughout his years, Thompson has been a professional ballet dancer, educator, administrator, historical preservationist, stain glass artist, rancher, poet, writer, and county judge.
Thompson’s latest book, Jungle O’s, is a delightful book for kids of all ages about how two very different people decide to get along and resolve their differences. Inspiration for this book came from a simple desire. Love. Thompson spoke of the Bible and its clear message, love thy neighbor. “There’s too much hate in our world. What we need to teach our kids is to love one another and to find similarities and resolve our differences with one another.”
When asked, what brought this jack-of-all-trades to writing, Thompson recalls “As a teacher, I read books to my students all day. At home, I’d read bedtime stories to my kids. I got tired of reading the same stories over and over again, so I began making up my own stories.”
Presently, Thompson is working on three more children’s books, each with lead characters based on ranch animals. Presently being a rancher himself, he notes “Nature is where I get my inspiration.”
The library got into the spirit of the jungle with decorations of trees, jungle animals, and hanging vines. To add to the excitement, Lamb County’s Mallory Marquez, served as safari guide to the kids, leading them on a safari walk throughout the library. High school volunteers, Cassie Caudillo and Brianna Caudillo, crafted DIY binoculars and jungle animal puppets, while Littlefield High Alum, Cadence Sanchez, fitted each child with their choice of animal mask. Mr. Thompson himself gifted the kids with a reading of
Jungle O’s and answered their many, curious, and creative ques- tions.
The Lamb County Library staff were delighted to host the former County Judge and look forward to hosting his next book signings. Selena Ramirez, Head Librarian says, “We have had a great time supporting our local authors and bringing an event such as book signings to Lamb County, which is typically something you must go to a big city to experience. We thrive on supporting our community and encourage our community to come out and support our local citizens and businesses.”
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