Weatherford Democrat

Local News

April 20, 2007

Izzy the Goat brings her tale to Weatherford

Christina Childs

cchilds@weatherforddemocrat.com

When Peaster native Tacy Thurn Ellis isn’t busy jotting down short stories or penning her latest manuscript, she’s mostly likely doing one of two things, teaching in a high school classroom or mingling with the many goats on her Woodson, Texas, farm.

Ellis, a lifelong farmer and goat rancher, found an inspiration in the animals she raised. It came in an unassuming package, a small white kid with rust-colored spots and tiny budding horns atop its poll.

She named the tiny creature Izzy, and over the next 11 years the Spanish goat mix grew to be a larger-than-life character in Ellis’ life, constantly finding trouble and mischief wherever she went.

After Izzy’s death in 1993, Ellis decided to take her lovable goat’s character to the masses, penning a children’s novel, written from Izzy’s perspective, “Goat Tales. The Izzy Journals: 1982-1993.”

“Izzy was worth making a note of,” Ellis said of her beloved pet. “I wanted to let people know the impact she made on my life.”

Leslie Little, publicist for Blue Sky Press, the company responsible for getting the novel to bookstores nationwide, said the book’s unique goat’s eye view of the world adds a distinct flare to the story.

“I think the way the book is written will really appeal to the kids because it enhances their imagination,” Little said.

Kid appeal topped the list of reasons behind Ellis’ unique approach, but she also aimed to showcase the compassion and humanity animals can bring into people’s lives.

“I wanted people to know how Izzy felt,” Ellis said. “I know it sounds crazy, but I have done a lot of animal behavioral studies, and I wanted people to realize that animals are much more than just empty shells, and that we all could learn a lot from them.”

Through the book, readers will get a chance to walk in Izzy’s hooves through all the major events in the furry farm animal’s life including her first home, a run-in with poisonous snakes, the birth of her first kid and finally the realization that the simple pleasures in life count for far more than could be imagined.

Parker County will get a chance to meet Ellis, as well as one of Izzy’s good goat friends, Skylark, on Saturday when the author travels to Weatherford College to present two children’s workshops at the annual Books ’n Authors ’n All That Jazz event.

Ellis will lead the first workshop at 10:45 a.m., followed by a second at 1:30 p.m.

For more information on attending the workshop visit www.wc.edu.

“Goat Tales. The Izzy Journals: 1982-1993,” will be available for purchase at the event. For those unable to make the Saturday appearance, the novel can be ordered online at amazon.com.

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