Oz, Dog of the Del is a beautifully illustrated children’s book written by Taylor Baldwin Kiland. She collaborated with talented folk artist Patricia Palermino to recreate a 19th century summer at the Hotel Del Coronado from the perspective of a young girl and a dog.
Izzy is summering at the Hotel Del, and Oz is the Del’s concierge dog dressed in a fine red-and-gold suit. Together, the two friends go adventuring around the hotel, Coronado, and San Diego. The sing-song rhymes will be popular with young children, and older ones might recognize famous historical figures in the book like Charlie Chaplain, Charles Lindbergh, and L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wizard of Oz.
From page 29 of the book:
Oz and Izzy kept running and saw a man writing a book.
Sitting on his porch, he gave Oz and Izzy a look.
“Can you put us in your book, Frank?” Oz asked the man.
“Perhaps,” Frank said, “I’ll see if I can.”
The author, Taylor Baldwin Kiland, grew up in Coronado, California. She has written or edited nine children’s books about the military, including The U.S. Navy & Military Careers. A former naval officer—the third generation in her family to serve in the Navy—Kiland spent twenty years in the private sector as a marketing communications professional before starting her writing career. She currently lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband and three-year-old daughter.
“I have been developing this story in my head for about seven years,” Kiland says. “In Washington, D.C., and Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, there are some really cute children’s stories that feature a dog. I thought that Coronado needed one, too. I’m a rabid dachshund fan, so the lead character had to be a dachshund. The little girl in the story is modeled after my niece, Isabel.”
Residents of Coronado will surely enjoy the beautiful illustrations that capture life at the Del in the 19th century. Patricia Palermino is a self-taught American folk art artist who has been publishing her unique collection of paintings depicting Washington, D.C., and Alexandria, Virginia, historical locations for more than twenty years. Her artwork can be seen and purchased online at www.patpalermino.com, and has been exhibited at the White House, the National Archives, and the Winterthur Museum. She has been commissioned by the National Easter Egg Roll at the White House, the UNICEF Corporate Christmas Card Collection, and many others.
The book is thirty-six pages long with sixteen illustrations and a retail price of $9.95. It is available for sale now on Amazon and www.OzDogoftheDel.com. You can meet the author, illustrator, and even Oz himself at:
- 11 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 4, at Bay Books (1029 Orange Ave.)
- 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4, at Wag ’N Tails (945 Orange Ave.)
- 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Artisans Alley Craft Faire (Village Elementary School)
- 11 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6, at the Hotel Del’s Est. 1888 gift shop
Kiland is excited to come back to Coronado again for these book signings. “I’m really looking forward to reconnecting with my Coronado friends this weekend and enjoying Coronado during the holiday season — one of my favorite times on the island. The illustrator, Patricia Palermino, will be at all the signings this weekend, as will Oz. We are making a special costume for him.”
The beautiful book would be a wonderful addition under the tree for Coronado children this Christmas, particularly with the hand-painted illustrations that so many locals will recognize. Pick up a signed copy from the author and illustrator this week.
