Press The listings in this section are pieces that were written in various forms of media. They were either about Peter J. Welling himself, or his works. If you know of any press that is not already listed please let me know at peterj@peterjwelling.com Thanks for visiting.
	Dr. Suess, Move Over Reviewed by Elizabeth Burton Everyone knows St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland, right? Well, the fact is, there was much more to the story than that. Shawn O'Hisser returns from a short vacation in Wales to discover all is species has vanished. It seems someone convinced the leprechauns the snakes had stolen their gold, and to avoid the Little People's retribution the snakes asked Patrick if he could find them a way off the Emerald Isle. The only one left is Shawn. Writer/Illustrator Peter Welling tells the story of Shawn's search for his kind in a delightful and sneakily educational tale for tots, Shawn O'Hisser, the Last Snake in Ireland. The qualities that make the books of Dr. Seuss reading pleasure for both children and adults are in full flight in Mr. Welling's book. The narrative is replete with wordplay, and on each page a peripheral character utters a word in Gaelic, which a quick look at the pronouncing glossary provided shows relates to the page's content in one way or another. So, in addition to the story of Shawn and the creatures he encounters, young readers are introduced to a taste of a language they might otherwise never experience. Mr. Welling's illustrations do excellent justice to his story, making Shawn O'Hisser a pleasure to look at as well as read. The details of each page draw the reader back for to explore and see what he or she might have missed the first or second or third time through. You don't have to be Irish to enjoy this charming tale. You don't even have to be a kid, but if you know any this is certainly one book that should be on their shelves.
	Post-Tribune Article - March 2006 - View Page Here The Post - Tribune (Merrillville, IN) reviews Mr. Welling's visit to Jones Elementary School in Portage, IN.
	Northwest Times Article - March 2006 - View Page Here The Northwest Times reviews Mr. Welling's visit to Jones Elementary School in Portage, IN.
	TCM Reviews - January 2006 - View Page Here From the TCM Review site, Tami Brady, archaeologist/ author/ educator/ inspirational resource/ mother/ wife, takes a look at 4 of the 5 Welling children's books.
	School Library Journal - July 2005 Filled with visual puns, the cartoon illustrations depict felines of many socioeconomic backgrounds.
	Midwest Book Review - May, 2005 http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/may_05.htm    The working cats in the New York Dutch settlement of Litterbox are tired of being poor and working for pennies in the Cat's Cradle Company. When Joe stops pussyfooting and asks for a raise, he's offered extra work instead and when payday comes, revolution is in the air. Joe Van Der Katt And The Great Picket Fence is a fun story filled with puns, jokes and colorful drawings.
	Maryland Star - Democrat - Book review by John Goodspeed March 17, 2005    ...here’s an educational (and amusing) new story for people 6 or older who can read. It’s set the Catskill Mountains in “the town of Litterbox, New York,” which is described as “a Dutch settlement,” but is occupied by lower animals, mostly cats.   Read review here
	Indianapolis Star - Book review by Jane Lichtenberg May 2, 2004    The real 500-Mile Race was never this funny. And no race car driver who ever crossed the finish line at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was any more determined to win than Justin Potemkin, an ambitious hare whose grandfather lost the famous tortoise-hare race.   Read review here
	Indystar Re:Generation section November, 2003    Flip Wilson is famous for saying the devil made him do it. Peter J. Welling, local author of a popular series of children’s holiday-themed picture books, could say that his wife, Darlene, made him do it.   Read article here
	Publishers Weekly April, 2003  Michael Le Souffle: " The watercolor-and-ink illustrations bubble with goofy spontaneity, groan-worthy puns, an anachronism or two, and French words."
	WISH-TV (Indianapolis channel 8, CBS) March 14, 2003 Noon newscast interview Mr. Welling had the pleasure of being interviewed by Eric Halvorson of the Indianapolis CBS affiliate, WISH-TV channel 8 during the noon news broadcast. Go to  WISH TV interview for the recap of this interview containing interesting information about Mr. Welling's new book, Michael Le Souffle and the April Fool.
	Indianapolis Monthly Magazine March, 2003 page 28
	Iowa Reading Journal Vol 15, No. 1 Reviewed by Jennifer Magee,  November 2002 "This charming book has a lot of hidden humor in word plays and the illustrations. The pictures complement the literature to make it a well-rounded, fun book to read. Children will enjoy looking for the leprechaun on each page, as well as the Gaelic vocabulary interspersed within the illustrations, followed by a glossary at the end of the book. Based on an old Irish limerick, this is a great book to read to an elementary class on St. Patrick's Day."
	Troy Broadcasting Corp. WTBF AM 970\FM 94.7 Dave “Doc” Kirby reviews Shawn O’Hisser, The Last Snake in Ireland.  March 17, 2002 “Scattered throughout the book are Irish and Welsh words and pronunciations which I enjoyed too. It’s a great St. Patrick’s Day gift for a wee one.”
	The Journal Gazette
	Star-Telegram, www.dfw.com March 12, 2002 What's worth reading Begora! All the snakes in Ireland are missing, except Shawn O'Hisser. What's a serpent to do?  Grab some green and get ready for St. Paddy's Day with Shawn O'Hisser, the Last Snake in Ireland, written and illustrated by Peter J. Welling.  This funny children's book gives a different spin to the legend of St. Patrick, who is credited with driving the serpents from the Emerald Isle.  Welling, who also wrote Andrew McGroundhog and His Shady Shadow, adds a little language lesson, too, with Celtic words sprinkled throughout the book. Their meanings are in a glossary in the back. Goofy, brightly colored illustrations will entertain 4- to 8-year-olds.  The hardback book, published by Pelican Publishing Co., sells for $14.95.  - Amanda Rogers  Kid’s Home Library Copley News Service Review of Shawn O’Hisser by Lee Littlewood March 6, 2002 “Sprinkled with Gaelic terms and colored with whimsical, personality-laden illustrations, this cheery picture book stars snake Shawn O’Hisser and his quest to find his friends and the leprechauns’ gold. As he asks the many creature characters of Ireland who stole the gold, he learns the other snakes were the culprits. But the big-eyed repitle doesn’t give up, and solves the mystery, making himself the last, and the richest, snake in Ireland. Great for St. Patrick’s Day read alouds in class or at home, Welling’s exotic book includes a glossary of Irish and Welsh terms and a witty Irish limerick.” February 12, 2002 South Bend native publishes second children's book Sons provided inspiration By ANDREW S. HUGHES Tribune Staff Writer When Peter J. Welling's third son, Michael, was about to be graduated from Crestview Elementary School in Indianapolis, Michael's teachers told Welling two things: Michael was doing well as a student, and " 'We'll miss the lunch bags.' " The lunch bags? When Michael started school, Welling tried to make the transition easier for his son by illustrating each day's lunch bag with a new episode in an ongoing fantasy story he invented for Michael. Welling continued the series for Michael until ninth grade, took a break from it and then finished the story during Michael's last week of high school. Although Welling still illustrates lunch bags -- fourth son, Andrew, is still at Crestview and gets bags illustrated as "This Day in History," examples of which can be viewed online at www.peterjwelling.com -- the South Bend native's audience has expanded beyond Crestview's cafeteria with the publication of his first two children's books, "Andrew McGroundhog and His Shady Shadow" and "Shawn O'Hisser: The Last Snake in Ireland." Welling says that he has told stories since he was a child growing up in South Bend. A member of the class of 1965 at St. Joseph's High School, Welling spent six years in the Air Force, including a tour in Vietnam, and returned to South Bend to attend Indiana University South Bend, from which he was graduated in 1977. As a student at IUSB, he published several pieces in the school's literary magazine, Analecta, and continued to write fiction for adults for years afterward. After he and his wife, Darlene, moved to Indianapolis about 12 years ago, he started to volunteer as a classroom parent at his sons' elementary school. The school's teachers became accustomed to Welling's stories and drawings for the children, and, at their urging, Welling says he decided to try his hand at writing and illustrating a children's book. "I thought I'd give it a try, thinking it would be easier than it was," he says. "You have to be very careful with your language, you have to gear it to the right age groups." Welling says his books break many of the "rules" of children's publishing: His books both exceed the 1,100-maximum word count established by the industry as acceptable for holding a child's interest, and his characters are all talking animals, something he was told was no longer in vogue. He has, however, heeded some advice. Welling says the reading teacher at his sons' elementary school told him to " 'make sure the pictures and the text agree,' " and they do. He has his own guidelines, too. "I promised myself that I would never write down to the kids," he says. "I would challenge them, but I wouldn't defeat them. I would make them fun for the parents or other adults that would read them." He says the industry encourages children's books authors to stay away from verse and rhyme unless they do it very well. Welling has no problem with that. "To me, when you start doing rhyming, it becomes a little more sugary," he says. "I'm a storyteller, and I don't do sugary or anything that puts someone in a cute position." Because his books tell the stories based on specific cultures' myths, Welling sets them in their country of origin -- Ireland for the myth of St. Patrick ridding Ireland of its snakes, Scotland for the myth of why groundhogs fear their shadows and, for his next book, France for the start of April Fool's Day. Welling says America is about five books down the line, for a book about Labor Day. "I think if (children) understand some of the myths and legends of other lands, then we don't get responses like the ones I saw after 9-11 ... talking about a 'bad man in a turban,' " he says of exposing children to other cultures and their history. "We're kind of isolated, and I don't think many Americans understood how isolated we were before September." Welling sprinkles the text with words from the country of origin's language and includes a glossary at the end, an extra that, like maps, he says publishers prize in children's books. "I tried to pick words that are simple," he says. "With the Scottish one, a lot of the words are similar. With the Irish, there was a lot of variation, so rather than slow down the reader, I put them to the side so that you can go back and look at them later." As with his first two books, the protagonist in each of his next two books will be named for one of Welling's four sons, Michael and Justin. "The art came because my father was a talented man and did a lot of artwork," he says. "I just assumed everyone did this. I drew every day and enjoyed doing it." The illustrations for both "Andrew McGroundhog" and "Shawn O'Hisser" employ a cartoon style, which Welling says is where he feels he has "the most mastery" as an illustrator. Also, he loves to read comic books. "Cartoons always came across to me as the best way to transmit a message," he says. "Even today, we do that in the newspapers. Editorial cartoons give as much commentary as the editorials. At the moment, Welling is on sabbatical from his position as art director at Futures magazine, a magazine "geared for writers and illustrators looking to get a start in publishing." Welling also has written an adult novel set at The University Notre Dame that he says needs to be edited and a Young Adult mystery novel, currently titled "Dark Hero," that he is shopping to other publishers because Pelican doesn't publish Young Adult books. "It's American culture right around the end of World War II, so that kids can see what Grandma and Grandpa were like as teens," he says. Staff writer Andrew S. Hughes: ahughes@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6377  March 11, 2001 Charmingly illustrated and highly recommended One day, Andrew McGroundhog climbed up Hadrian's Heights to go fishing. As he was climbing, he repeatedly heard someone cry out and found that it was his shadow. His shadow was upset about being dragged up the mountain, dunked in the water, and stepped on by a pony. Andrew's shadow wanted the Andrew to hibernate like other groundhogs because winter was too cold for shadows.  Andrew then wondered when he could stop hibernating when his shadow said he would gives a "thumbs-up" if it was springtime, or would bonk him on the nose if it was winter. Even now, if the groundhogs don't see the thumbs-up, they sleep for six more weeks. Written and charmingly illustrated by Peter Welling, Andrew Mcgroundhog And His Shady Shadow is a thoroughly entertaining and highly recommended addition to any personal, school, or community library picture book collection for young readers. Midwest Book Review - Oregon, WI "Written and charmingly illustrated by Peter Welling, Andrew McGroundhog and His Shady Shadow is a thoroughly entertaining and highly recommended addition to any personal, school or community library picturebook collection for young readers."   Children's Bookwatch, February 2001   "If you're searching for a book for a child or grandchild with lots of Scottish history and culture and a two-page glossary of Scots words at the end, look no further.  Peter Welling's book tell the Scottish "origin" of Groundhog Day in an entertaining way that will delight adults as much as children.  This book falls in the "way too cute" category.  Welling also illustrated the book in a wonderful manner.  And if you hear someone say "Mc" is Irish and "Mac" is Scottish, remember that is not a hard and fast rule.  I personally know many Scots who use "Mc" in their name."  Priscilla "Pete" Kucik  "This Scottish twist on the groundhog story is full of visual and literal humor.  The cartoon illustrations will amuse as well, particularly the array of critters surrounding Andrew, including the Loch Ness monster, a feisty red crowlike bird, and rabbits playing hopscotch."  Ann Cook, School Library Journal, July 2001.   "It's Groundhog Day and here's a Book Bit that's perfect:  Andrew McGroundhog and His Shady Shadow.  This is the very funny story of how the Groundhog Day tradition began (at least according to the author).  It's a clever story with a wee bit o Gaelic." Dave "Doc" Kirby.  Review aired Feb 2, 2001 on WTBF (AM 970/FM 94.7), Troy, Alabama   "Nobody had immortalized the groundhog in a book until Peter J. Welling wrote Andrew McGroundhog and His Shady Shadow.  This beautifully illustrated hardcover book tells how the little known woodchuck became the prophet of Spring under a different name.  The author credits Scotland as birthplace of this quiet creature who foetells the coming of warm, sunny weather after winter blasts have ended.  The favorable forecast, however, depends on whether the groundhog sees his shadow.  The shadow is pictured in the book as a mysterious dark figure, all in black, while young Andrew is in a kilt and has some knowledge of his Scottish background.  A glossary explains words that might not be familiar to the child, but even without the dialog, the book would be a pleasure just for the many colorful illustrations." Irving Bell, editor of Bell Chimes, Jan, 2001 August 2001 School Library Journal Andrew McGroundhog and His Shady Shadow "Full of visual and literal humor."  March 2, 2001 The Gary Post Tribune "Casting Longfellow shadows: Children's author, illustrator offers his insights to elementary students" January 21, 2001 The Indianapolis Star "Groundhog with character" Peter J. Welling had a young son who was nervous about school. So the Indianapolis writer and illustrator began drawing pictures on the boy's lunch bags ---- part game and part story ---- to make him smile. Welling's imaginative stories for his own kids finally evolved into a children's book, Andrew McGroundhog and His Shady Shadow, just out from Pelican Publishing. It's taken a long time to get Andrew into the bookstores.  "The trouble with this business is that you start out, usually, at the end of a long line." Welling says. "You ask the guy in front of you how long he has been waiting, how did he get where he is, and so on. After a time...someone opens the door, lets you inside and to your chagrin, there is another line and you are at the back of it." January 18, 2001 The Punxsutawney Spirit "Author brings Scottish twist to Groundhog Day"