Hard work and a positive attitude pay off when a small-town turkey spreads her wings and pursues her dream of becoming a movie star.

Los Angeles, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/03/2014 --While video games, movies and sports are vying for children's attention, reading... and reading to them... is becoming a lost art. The new children's picture book, Gollywood, Here I Come!, is a true contender that makes reading an exciting option. It features the adventures of an ambitious turkey named Anamazie Marie LaBelle, in a vivid tale children ages five to eight are likely to gobble up.

This imaginative, debut picture book from theater director/choreographer Terry John Barto is not only an inspirational success story, it's an introductory primer to the world of movie-making. With unexpected twists and whimsical illustrations, Gollywood, Here I Come!, from AuthorHouse publishing, shows how dreams can come true even in the face of a few hard knocks.

Of all the children's books in the marketplace, few fowl have taken center stage since the classic tale of Chicken Little. In Gollywood, Here I Come!, parents and kids will certainly relish the adventures of Anamazie Marie LaBelle.

“My mom says you can do anything if you work hard and never give up.”
Anamazie Marie LaBelle
Gollywood, Here I Come!

THE STORY:
Anamazie Marie LaBelle, who balances her baton-twirling with singing and dance lessons, is one busy turkey. A spirited bird with a lot of pluck, Anamazie lives in Gobbleville, a small, vibrant town of turkeys who behave like humans. They attend barbeques, festivals and parades in a homespun environment.

Nearby, is the film industry town of Gollywood. It may be the most glamorous place in the world, but Gobbleville's down-to-earth citizens are skeptical of this big, outlandish city.

One day, after leading the Wattle View Marching Band down Gobbleville's Main Street, Anamazie discovers the path to stardom: the TV show, Gobbleville's Got Talent, where a talent scout in the audience invites her to Gollywood Pictures Studio for a screen test.

She lands a role in the studio's next movie, but discovers she must first overcome obstacles as the new turkey in town and learn how to work with others. Anamazie becomes a big star, returns to Gobbleville after her glamorous movie premiere and inspires her friends to work hard and never give up on their dreams.

THE AUTHOR:
Before writing his debut children's book, Terry John Barto directed and choreographed more than 200 regional theater productions and was the creative mind behind numerous television and cruise ship live shows around the world.

As the creative director for Wings of Dreams Productions, Barto collaborated with other artists on a variety of diverse ideas and turned them into screenplays for animated films. He also helped develop popular action figures and dolls for several large retailers.
Terry lives in Los Angeles where he enjoys Pilates, Yoga, and hiking with his dachshund, Mazie.

THE ILLUSTRATOR:
Mattia Cerato was born in the small town of Cuneo, surrounded by the beautiful Italian Alps. At the age of 3, when his main interest seemed to be eating lots of pasta, his father encouraged him to draw. As a result, he spent most of his time creating funny images on practically every surface he could find.

As a young adult, Mattia honed his natural talent for illustration at the European Institute of Design in Turin. Within eight months of graduation, he landed his first job as an illustrator for My First Picture Dictionary (Rass Language House, Hong Kong).

Since then, Mattia has created illustrations for many books and toys including Don't Listen to Those Pigs! (Pearson Digital Studio), 1,000 Pirate Stickers (Usborne Publishing), You Can Draw Dinosaurs (Picture Window Books), and Problem Solved! Readers Series (Red Chair Press) before bringing Anamazie and her fellow turkey friends to life on the pages of Gollywood, Here I Come! (AuthorHouse).

For more information, go to TjbKids.com and gollywoodhereicome.com