Animal Whisperer

I have a secret wish to be able to talk to animals. Flying around, burrowing in the ground, and swimming underwater they get to see our world a unique and more varied way then us humans.

I suppose that’s why my two protagonists are a bulldog and an orangutan. OK, well, Junior is a stuffed animal and not a real orangutan ... but don’t try telling him that :-)

Writing about animals gives me the opportunity to research them. And yes, I’m just nerdy enough to enjoy doing research voluntarily.

Then I have to imagine the world through their eyes, which can be difficult because Junior likes to swing up high, while Sir Reginald (the bulldog) is only 14 inches tall.

Over the years both Junior and Sir Reginald have taken on human-like personas, while Sir Reginald’s master, Sure-foot Sam, very often acts like a dog. He’s loyal, lovable and a bit impulsive.

So I guess I’m starting bridging the gap between the animal and human worlds. Hopefully that’s the first step to understanding animals better, which may lead me to be able to talk them someday.

Katie Pasek is the author of "Sure-foot Sam in Jeopardy" and Junior's New Home. Visit us at www.katiepasek.com.

What Freaks Us Out

I suppose that's a really good question. I mean, we are all different, so we can't just assume what freaks one person out freaks the next person out as well.

However, there are some pretty common fears that 'freak people out'.

Heights, for example. You go on vacation. Want to go to the top of the Sears Tower? No thank you. Want to go on this roller coaster with me? Yeah right. (You know, excluding the fear of roller coasters.) I'm taking a trip to Europe. Want to come with me? Do you mean that I have to fly?

Or there's spiders. Or anything that has more than four legs and doesn't bark or meow. Quite possibly snakes. Or mice. Clump those out into one giant cluster of things that can make some people take a step back.

What about water? I've known a couple people who are afraid to go in a pool unless they can stand on the bottom. Ocean? Probably not. Boat? Yeah, there's no point in even mentioning it. It'll be a no.

There are just certain things that freak people out. And there's nothing wrong with it because most people have that one odd thing that just tends to make them cringe. (And no, I'm not talking about nails on a chalkboard).

So what freaks you out?