FAYETTE - When she was a child, Katherine Hannigan recalls being so shy she hid behind her mother's legs and would even cry on occasion if called on to speak.

That changed as she matured. Moving to New York - where she was thrust into games of four square and cops and robbers - she gained confidence.

Even so, no one's more surprised than Hannigan about her success as a children's author.

"No one told me I'd be a great writer," she told children while introducing her latest book at the Fayette Public Library.

Nine years ago when she moved to Fayette, she left behind almost instant access to shopping malls, fast food chains and the like.

Hannigan has a passion for small towns and the natural beauty of Northeast Iowa, enjoying frequent outings near the Volga River.

"Sometimes when I run, a bald eagle will fly right over me," she said, captivating her young audience. "Once, I saw a buck and four does. For a while, I stood there and stared, and the deer stared back. Then I moved along, because after all, I was in their world."

The author's stories reflect her experiences in small-town Iowa.

"I wished I had grown up in a place like Fayette."

Hannigan's first book, "Ida B," is about a furious young heroine who talks to trees in an attempt to cope in a world she doesn't necessarily understand. The book was a New York Times best-seller and won a Parents Choice Gold Award.

In "Emmaline and the Bunny," Hannigan appeals to a slightly younger audience. Her story has Emmaline living in a very tidy town called Neatasapin, where Mayor Orson Oliphant also is very tidy. He doesn't approve of Emmaline's hopping and hollering and has banished animals.

Hannigan also illustrated the book following her editor's suggestion to put her master's degree in fine art to use.

"Katherine is a very talented writer and illustrator," said Connie Collins, a member of the library board.

She has known Hannigan since the author moved to Fayette.

"Her most recent book, 'Emmaline and the Bunny,' is a joy to read," Collins said.

Librarian Linda Adams was pleased to have Hannigan discuss her book recently during national library week.

"She is very well-known in the literary world and has won a number of awards for her work," Adams said.

Contact Janell Bradley at jbradley@alpinecom.net.