On any given day along the Magothy River, you might spot a young boy with a net in one hand and a snake catcher in the other, eyes scanning the shoreline for movement. For 10-year-old Connor James, the Chesapeake Bay isn’t just a backdrop – it’s a living alphabet, full of stories waiting to be told.
That curiosity is what sparked A Day on the Bay From A to Z, a children’s book Connor created alongside his grandmother, Mary LoJacono – better known to him as “Queen Bee.” Part nature guide, part alphabet adventure, the book follows a day spent encountering the many animals that live in and around the Bay, from shoreline critters to fish and birds overhead.
The idea was born during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Connor was in kindergarten and logging into school remotely from his grandmother’s home on the Magothy in Chelsea Beach. While Connor worked through learning his ABCs, he also spent his breaks doing what he loved most: searching for critters along the shoreline. Before long, the two turned it into a challenge – could they find at least one Bay-dwelling animal for every letter of the alphabet?
Some letters came easily. Others took a little research. And soon, the challenge evolved into something bigger: a story that followed those discoveries through a single day on the Bay.
Connor led the way when it came to choosing the animals, rattling off names from memory, while Queen Bee helped assign each one to its letter. Some creatures, like the great blue heron, could have worked for several letters, so they refined their choices as the story took shape. The process was collaborative from start to finish, with Connor’s voice guiding the narrative.
Once the story was complete, they brought in another family member to help bring it to life visually – Connor’s Aunt G, artist Jenni Petrucci of Elkton, Maryland. With just one instruction – that each animal had to look like the real thing – she created 28 pages of richly detailed artwork, complete with textured paint, buttons, yarn, sequins and glitter. The results were stunning…and presented a new challenge.
Some of the pages were so three-dimensional they literally popped off the paper. Printing them required a little community magic. A generous Pasadena neighbor with printing experience helped scan and clean up the artwork, carefully preparing each page for production. “Pasadena neighbors are the best,” Queen Bee said.
One of Connor’s favorite moments came during the proofing stage, when he caught an error no adult had noticed. Reading the “K” page aloud, he paused and corrected the text. “Snakes don’t sliver,” he explained matter-of-factly. “They slither.” The word was promptly changed.
That attention to detail – and Connor’s deep knowledge of wildlife – has been a constant source of pride for his grandmother. While she’s long admired his fascination with animals, she says seeing him confidently navigate his first book signing at the Anne Arundel County Library in Annapolis was something special. Connor mingled with other authors, asked questions about their books, and talked easily about his own. “He really is mature beyond his years,” she said.
The Chesapeake Bay itself plays a starring role in the story – and in their lives. Queen Bee and Gramps’ home on the Magothy is the family gathering place, especially in the summer, when weekends are spent swimming, fishing, crabbing, tubing and creek crawling. Bald eagles soar overhead. Ospreys return each spring and depart each fall. Connor is rarely far from the water, discovering tiny black crabs, grass shrimp, clams – and occasionally hauling up a horseshoe crab from a neighboring beach.
That sense of wonder is what they hope young readers take away from the book. The Bay, they say, is full of beauty and excitement for kids willing to look closely and explore. Sometimes, the greatest adventures are right outside the door.
The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive. The first printing of 200 books sold out within weeks, fueled by enthusiastic support from family, friends and the local community. Tracy Vega of E.L. & Company was an early champion, immediately adding the book to her shop’s book nook and hosting a signing. Connor’s principal at Lake Shore Elementary even announced the book in the school’s weekly notes.
And this is likely just the beginning. Connor already has an idea for his next book, and his younger sister, Taylor, is developing one of her own. The family publishes under the name For the Wee Ones, leaving plenty of room for future stories – and Aunt G is ready to illustrate again.
A Day on the Bay From A to Z is available locally at E.L. & Company. Community members can also purchase a copy by emailing Fortheweeones25@gmail.com or connecting through Facebook at For the Wee Ones. All proceeds go toward helping Connor pursue his dream of becoming a reptile expert – one letter, and one critter, at a time.
