New author crafts a children's book

WANTAGE — Kevin Maloney wrote and illustrated “Jim and the Raccoon Rescue” and self-published the children’s book through lulu.com. Although he’s new at this sort of thing, Maloney said that during a reading earlier this month at Annie’s Book Stop in Wantage, he was pleasantly surprised by the effect his book had on the audience of about eight preschoolers and their parents. “They were hooked. They were really drawn into the story,” he said. And, “I impressed a few parents, too.” “I think I did pretty good for my first time. All eyes were on me.” Maloney, of Hamburg, is a 2002 graduate of Wallkill Valley High. He became interested in art while in high school and has since been “doing my own studies on the art of English and storycrafting.” Maloney, who has developmental disabilities, said the publication of this book “has been a difficult journey for me. My love of stories has motivated me to persevere and this book...is my accomplishment and success story.” The book is available through Annie’s Book Stop and online at lulu.com for $29.98. He describes “Jim and the Raccoon Rescue” as a tale of a friendly adventure. Next up, Maloney is writing a book called “Anna’s Choice,” about a cat having a hard time making the right choices.