Author Kevin Coolidge, owner of From My Shelf Books & Gifts at 7 East Avenue in Wellsboro, has written a nonfiction picture book for children 5 to 8 years old. “I think adults who love history, animals or both will enjoy it, too,” he said.
Copies of “Rebecca, White House Raccoon” will be available later this month. “The color illustrations in my new book are being done by Chris Jones under the pen name Jubal Lee. He also illustrates my Totally Ninja Raccoons series,” said Coolidge.
“I first became aware of our 30th U.S. President and First Lady Calvin and Grace Coolidge having a pet raccoon in the White House when I was doing research for the first book I wrote in my ‘Totally Ninja Raccoon’ series. That was in 2015,” he said. “Everything in it is true, even about Rebecca going on vacation with the President and First Lady in South Dakota.”
Coolidge explained that, when asked about his racoon series and why he chose the topic, he says, “Coolidges and raccoons just go together.”
Coolidge noted that he is unsure if he is related to President Coolidge or not, although a DNA test confirmed that both are from the same area of New England/New York and the same settlers group.
“Chances are we are distantly related,” Coolidge said.
Rebecca was the most famous raccoon to grace the White House. A supporter who thought she would be great to eat for Thanksgiving dinner gave her as a gift to President Coolidge. Instead of eating her, the Coolidges adopted Rebecca and gave her a collar imprinted with the words “White House Raccoon.” Her diet included shrimp and persimmons (an edible fruit) but eggs were her favorite food.
Allowed to roam freely in the White House, Rebecca often visited the Oval Office and would play with White House visitors, She loved hide-and-seek and the bathtub. Mischievous, she was known to unscrew light bulbs, open cabinets, and unpot houseplants. She attended White House events, such as the annual White House Egg Roll when she chased eggs across the lawn. A special wooden house was built just for her.
When the Coolidges left the White House, so did Rebecca. So she wouldn’t be lonely, she went to live with other raccoons at the Rock Creek Zoo in Washington, D.C.
Signed, personalized copies of all of the books Coolidge has authored are available at From My Shelf Books & Gifts in Wellsboro or can be purchased at kevingcoolidge.org. Copies of his books can be found wherever books are sold. For more information, call 570-724-5793 or stop in.
