Local Author & Illustrator Team up for Children’s Book

Author’s love of chocolate transforms into song

 “I Love You More…Than Chocolate” a newly released children’s book, is written by first time author Melanie Milburn from Durango, and illustrated by Cindy Coleman, from Bayfield, Colorado.  

Melanie has had the idea for the book for many years. When she used to tuck her kids into bed at night, she made sure they knew how much they were loved.  She told them she loved them more than anything – even chocolate!  (Her children knew she was a chocoholic, so they had no doubt, they knew they were loved.)  The night time ritual became a song, and is now available as a book, with a CD of Melanie singing the song “I Love You More Than Chocolate”.

“My children’s eyes lit up when I read them Melanie Milburn’s book, ‘I Love You More… Than  Chocolate’. As many times as I’ve told them I love them, in what I’ve said and what I’ve done, they’ve never been as delighted as they were to hear that I really did love them more than chocolate. The book conveys what parents want their children to know in a way that speaks clearly and impressively to the child’s mind and heart. Inspired by this story, my three-year-old beamed as I tucked her into bed, ‘Mommy, I love YOU more than pink ice cream!'” said Amy McClellan.

“My five-year-old and I love this beautiful book! All children want to know how much they are loved and this special book puts that into words that children can understand and remember. My five-year-old is always asking me if I love her more than chocolate and of course I tell her yes!”  said Cindy McLean.

Melanie Milburn is the Director, and has been a teacher at New Horizons preschool in Durango for nearly 20 years, and has been writing songs for even longer.  Melanie is known for her passions – kids, music and…CHOCOLATE! Melanie is an award winning song writer, and when she is not teaching preschool, she enjoys sharing her songs at family concerts.

Cindy Coleman freelances graphic design and illustration through her company Duck Girl Art. Originally from rural Missouri, she graduated from Ringling College of Art & Design in Sarasota, FL with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Illustration. She and her husband Ken have been in Durango since the fall of 2006. Cindy illustrated her first children’s book “Mommy, Do You Love Me?” in the spring of 2008, and was approached by Melanie to illustrate her book in the spring of 2010. Cindy’s style of painting with acrylics on varnished scrapbook paper easily translated to the book’s design. “I was able to change the backgrounds on every page since each page is so different; normally you have main characters in a book that have to be consistent from page to page but ‘Chocolate’ gave me lots of freedom to play around. Of course, I did have to come up with about ten different ways to portray chocolate!” Cindy has been a featured artist at the Durango Arts Center, Pagosa Springs Arts Council, Wildethyme Gallery in Monte Vista, and the Sideshow Gallery in Dolores.

Both Melanie and Cindy will be having a book signing January 29, 2011, at First Presbyterian Church, 1160 3^rd Avenue in Durango, in the Fellowship Hall (12^th Street entrance) from 1:00 – 3:00pm. We’re pretty sure there might be some chocolate there as well…

On February 9, 2011, Melanie will be presenting the book at the Durango Public Library 1900 East Third Avenue from 10:30 – 11:00 AM.

A second book signing with the author and illustrator will be held at Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Avenue, Durango, on February 19, from 10:00 – 11:00 AM.