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Deborah Guarino is the author of the Scholastic children's book, "Is Your Mama a Llama?" now celebrating its 20th year in print and more than a million copies sold. "Is Your Mama a Llama?" has been recommended by "The New Yorker," "Oprah Winfrey's Book Club for Kids," the American Library Association and was a Literary Guild Selection.

It's also won the "Cuffie Award" from "Publisher's Weekly" for best book title, has been animated by Weston Woods and turned into a reggae song by the talented composer, Andy Mayo of Andymayomusic.com. In 2008 it was even quoted in the episode, "Do You Hear What I Hear?" of the popular NBC TV series, "The Medium," starring Patricia Arquette.

Guarino's short story, "Inside Out," was published in "Ms. Magazine," included in the original "Free to be You & Me" anthology, in several text books and adapted for radio broadcast by the BBC in London. Her original radio play, "Dying to See You," was also produced and broadcast by BBC's Radio Four.

Also an actor and playwright, Guarino's original musical parodies include three productions for the Gilbert & Sullivan Society in New York along with dinner and children's theatre in New Jersey. Her acting roles include everything from "Mrs. Lovett" in the non-musical version of "Sweeney Todd" to a friendly zombie in Central Park.

She's studied improv with Chicago City Limits in New York and theatre arts at the City Center for Literature in London, as well as in an award seminar for fiction at the Academy of American Poets in New York.

Along with authoring chidren's books and plays, Guarino also works as an advertising copywriter, editor and journalist. An artist as well as a writer, Guarino also enjoys doing portraits and caricatures, as well as the occasional mural, and credits her genes for this particular talent.

Both her older brothers, Glen Guarino of Guarinofurnituredesigns, and Anthony Guarino, are accomplished craftsmen and artists, as well as teachers in their fields of furniture design and jewelry. Her older sister, Sharon Pendorf, is an accomplished adminstrator within the Episcopal Church in Great Britain and her younger sister, Adriane Guarino, who has Down Syndrome, lives in New Jersey.

Because her book has become a staple in early education libraries and is used and recommended in many literacy programs and within the curriculum for teaching students across the country, Guarino is in demand as a visiting author.

Her lively, theatrical presentations are as funny as they are informative, tailored to the age and requirements of her audience, and always involve audience participation and the reading of works in progress.

Far beyond just presenting her most well-known work, Guarino offers song, creative exercises, hilarious anecodotes, lively readings and real "behind-the scenes" insights into a professional writer's creative process that entertain, amuse and inspire audiences of every age.

The very proud single mother of handsome, talented sons Josh Guarino and Daniel Palmiero, Guarino makes her home in northern New Jersey, where she also lives with two dogs, two cats, four birds, one rabbit and a ferret...need it be said she loves kids and animals?

For more information about Deborah Guarino or "Is Your Mama a Llama?" please go to Amazon.com or Scholastic.com, where you can also find more information about booking an author visit.

You can also visit her page at Facebook.com or reach her by writing to [email protected] or at Deborah [email protected].

If you are a reader, a teacher, a librarian or someone else interested in booking a talk, please put that in your subject line, as unrecognized e-mails or attachments will not be opened.

Deborah Guarino is the author of the Scholastic children's book, "Is Your Mama a Llama?" now celebrating its 20th year in print and more than a million copies sold. "Is Your Mama a Llama?" has been recommended by "The New Yorker," "Oprah Winfrey's Book Club for Kids," the American Library Association and was a Literary Guild Selection. It's also won the "Cuffie Award" from "Publisher's Weekly" ... More