Piki* Goes Flying

This is Joan M. Hellquist's third children's book and her second Piki adventure book. Joan has been an artist all of her life but writing and illustration is relatively new for her. She has had her own business, Artistic Endeavors, for many years, which has covered several forms of her own artistic endeavors including drawing and painting, playing hammered dulcimer in a band and now writing and illustrating her children's books. Joan has been trained as a Service Dog instructor/trainer and has her own Service Dog, whom she trained. Her Service Dog's name is Piki, which rhymes with sneaky. In Joan's books, Piki Goes to College and this one, Piki Goes Flying, Piki tells her own story and by doing so, lets the reader know that she has an opinion about just about everything. Joan has worked with children in different settings over the years. First as a Respiratory Therapist, then as a Physician Assistant and now is a volunteer bereavement facilitator at the Grief Center in Albuquerque. Throughout her life, Joan has been especially drawn to children, animals, Native American culture and art, the wilderness and travel. She has lived in New Mexico since 1988 and all of her life, she has gone to New Hampshire for at least part of the summer. Although New Mexico and New Hampshire are quite opposite from each other, she loves them both.