Marta Magellan Author

FLYING JEWELS A HUMMINGBIRD STORY, August, 2021, Illustrated by Mauro Magellan, Eifrig Publishing

 PYTHON CATCHERS SAVING THE EVERGLADES. April 2020,  a book on the very damaging python invasion in the Everglades, Rowman and Littlefield/ Pineapple. 

DRAGONFLIES WATER ANGELS AND BRILLIANT BIOINDICATORS, July 2020, Purple Dragonfly Award Honor Winner

AMAZING, MISUNDERSTOOD BATS, May, 2019, nonfiction for grades 3-5. My latest book on this very special mammal was launched in July, 2019 at the Nature Detectives workshop in Ponte Vedra, Florida.

 ANOLE INVASION, May, 2018,on the non-native backyard lizards displacing the native Carolina anole for grades 3-5. 

 THE NUTTY LITTLE VULTURE, January, 2018,fiction picture book for ages 3-5 charming fictional story based on facts of the different services vultures provide for our environment.

Other  books by writer Marta Magellan still in print: Those Lively Lizards, Those Colossal Cats, and Those Voracious Vultures.

A full list of my writing can be found under Publications

Dragonflies: Water Angels and Brilliant Bioindicators

School Library Journal

August 2020

Sandra  Welzenbach, Villarreal Elem. Sch., San Antonio

Gr 1–3—Readers will learn some fascinating facts about these docile  insects. The griffinfly, the precursor to the dragonfly, existed 100  million years before the dinosaurs. According to scientists who study  ancient animals, they were the largest insects of all time. Today,  dragonflies are much smaller. A dragonfly nymph lives one to four years  underwater. It breathes through its gills, which are inside its butt.  The text includes a full-size, vivid photo on the left side, and a  comically illustrated version of the insect on the right. The text  explains that dragonflies are called "water angels" and are related to  the damselfly. As a bioindicator, it only seeks out fresh water.  Dragonflies found in folklore are briefly discussed. Readers are  encouraged to save water and help eliminate waste to provide more  freshwater sources for animals and insects. Additional facts and a  glossary round out this title. VERDICT This kid-friendly science  resource will fill a niche in the 595.7 section of your library.

Children's Book Watch/ Pets,Wildlife Shelf /Midwest Book Review, August, 2019
Anole Invasion is a book about the green anole, a lizard whose territory is being invaded by another species of lizard called the Cuban brown anole...This fascinating story of the Carolina or green anole's adaptation to invasive species of anole is educational and beautifully enhanced by expert color photographs of each anole species. The end of the book has two pages of excellent portraits of the crested anole, the Cuban anole, the green anole, and the knight anole, plus a full glossary of terms. Anole Invasion is an excellent resource for students of life sciences in grades 2 and up.
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The Nutty Little Vulture 9781632330802, 32pp, https://www.eifrigpublishing.com/products/the-nutty-little-vulture
Review: Family Magazine, by Meribeth Shank, January, 2018: Animals are Amazing:  Little Vulture’s mom offers to teach him how to get his own food. But he’s already off, finding it for himself ...The importance of what vultures contribute by eating carrion is  emphasized by the repetitive comments in large easy to read text,  following each of Little Vulture’s food inspections. Expressive  illustrations draw readers into the story. The sister/brother author/illustrator team have combined their talents to share this  engaging, environmentally thoughtful picture book. Back matter includes  facts about vultures, a glossary, and references.
Children's Book Watch/ Pets,Wildlife Shelf /Midwest Book Review, August, 2019
It is time for Little Vulture to start finding his own meals. But when he ventures out on his own, he discovers that none of the food the other vultures are sharing with him is tasty. On his journey, he discovers that not all vultures are carnivores which seems just a little bit nutty to him, too. A scrumptious book introducing the amazing world of vultures to kids, "The Nutty Little Vulture" is enhanced with the inclusion of a listing of Facts About Palm-Nut Vultures and a listing of Facts About Other Vultures. While especially and highly recommended for family, elementary school, and community library wildlife picture book collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Nutty Little Vulture" is also available in a paperback edition (9781632330796, $9.99).
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Excerpt of Review by Micaela Amateau Amato,  Illustrator
Marta Magellan’s charming, intelligently written book THE NUTTY LITTLE  VULTURE, beautifully illustrated by Mauro Magellan, takes on the  symbiotic cycle of life ...Great message! It’s a short book with a brilliant educational and social message, perfectly illustrated to attract and keep total attention and  fascination on message. I love this book for adults and kids of all ages.

From: Merlin Tuttle, Founder and Executive Director, Merlin Tuttle Bat Conservation. I received the copy of your book, Amazing, Misunderstood Bats...[T]he photos look great in print.  Your book will help a new generation of youngsters to learn all the ways  bats are helpful, not scary. I look forward to sharing it! May 30, 2019
    
 From: Carolyn Smith, President of the Las Adelfas Garden Circle in St. Augustine, Florida

It  is exciting when a non-profit group; the Garden Club of St. Augustine,  is able to work with such a talented writer and illustrator to achieve  such a wonderful product.  We hope the book will extend out to many  other groups around the state and beyond who want to educate our youth  about the importance of our environment and the animals and creatures  who inhabit our planet...
your book could be used to stimulate interest as well as conservation  for some of our most important creatures; our pollinators! April 19, 2019

We LOVE this program and the positive,  important impact it has on countless young people. We are so pleased and  proud to partner with you!       --Bryanne Hamilton (and all of us at Southern Horticulture!), August 1, 2019

   Children's author, Marta Magellan, fascinated Pinecrest Library patrons while discussing her latest book, Anole Invasion. She informed the group about local invasive lizards and how to help the disappearing Anole creatures. Ms. Magellan had her huge crowd intrigued and eager to participate; her very informative presentation was a grand success!
--Jennifer Hernandez, Pinecrest Branch Miami-Dade Public Library, March, 2019.


The  children were listening, enthusiastic, and engaged the whole time. I  love your book, ANOLE INVASION and will be sharing it with some nature  lovers I know!"
              -- Lori Dubbin, Teacher/Author, 2019

From: Susanna Leonard Hill, Author and founder of Halloweensie contest: Writing is a tough business - we all need a little sparkle and encouragement from time to time 🙂 I'm glad if you enjoyed the contest!  We  certainly enjoyed your very well-written entry and the way it so  beautifully showed how a kid's imagination can get the better of him in  the spookiness of a dark Halloween night only to dissolve into  a perfectly normal day in the light of morning. 11/22/2019

You were such a dynamic part of our Nature Detective Series in Ponte  Vedra ... You have such knowledge of the subject and  have such a flair for presentation...it is quite a memory." -Cathy Snyder Nature Detective Series Director, July, 2016


What an amazing author visit, Marta! Thank you so much for traveling up to us. The families were thrilled! Thank  you again for all you did for us – we’re so glad so many came and had a  great time! I hope we can work with you again in the future.  -- Anne Crawford, Youth Services Coordinator for St. Johns County Public Library System, August 15, 2013

I  love your books on lizards! I have read “Anole Invasion” and “Those  Lively Lizards” and they were really cool! I remember when I was in  Florida I caught a brown anole. Thank you for autographing the two  books! -- Benjamin, 

April 18, 2020

My book, PYTHON CATCHERS SAVING THE EVERGLADES about the python invasion in Florida, has been published and is available for sale. The launch at Books and Books has been postponed due to the virus.

I love presenting my books to children because they love animals as much as I do. Contact me at martamagellan@yahoo.com or by clicking CONTACT above.