George Shannon learned from his own characters that we

all have tales inside.

Surrounded by chickens, lizards and frogs, George Shannon has found a way to relax into life.

The engaging children’s author has published more than 30 books filled with lyrical story lines, including “Dance Away,” “Lizard’s Song” and “Tippy-Toe Chick, Go.”

Inspired by his years as a children’s librarian and storyteller, he delves into folklore with the “Stories to Solve” series and challenges young readers with story puzzles in his “Twisted Tales” books. Shannon will read his latest creation, “The Secret Chicken Club,” Nov. 12 at Eagle Harbor Book Co.

“I’m best at humor and lightness, (and) I love absurdity. Gracie Allen is one of my heroes,” Shannon said, referring to the late comedienne and partner/wife of comedian George Burns.

“The Secret Chicken Club” is the second volume in a series of nine short stories using all of the same characters. Shannon submitted them to his publisher as a single volume, and the editors said they wanted to turn it into three picture books with three stories each.

Shannon was thrilled. On the heels of “Wiseacres,” “The Secret Chicken Club” offers stories that he called “anthropomorphic Chelm stories.”

In Jewish folklore, Chelm is the mythical Polish town inhabited by people who are considered fools by everyone except themselves.

“They are so stupid they don’t know it. They always find a way to be happy,” Shannon said. “‘Wiseacres’ is sort of the comedy or absurdity to the extreme. The baseline is, ‘So, do you want to be happy or not? Have a nice day if you don’t have other plans.’”

On the more serious writing side, Shannon is the author of “Storytelling: A Selected Annotated Bibliography,” considered to be the basic reference tool for professional storytellers, and a biography of the well-known children’s author/illustrator Arnold Lobel.

Shannon fell in love with literature when he was a youngster growing up in Caldwell, Kan., a village of about 1,400 people. His parents filled their home with books for him and his three younger brothers, who were regular visitors at the local library.

Shannon liked writing so much, he wrote extra story assignments while in elementary school. His father was the high school principal, but being a self-described “mega nerd,” Shannon stayed out of trouble.

When he was a senior, the family moved to Kentucky, where his father was a college professor. Shannon didn’t mind, because “for the first time, my father wasn’t in the building,” he said.

Shannon graduated from Western Kentucky University, spent two years teaching in a coal mining village and earned a master’s in library science degree. He shelved his librarian career in 1978 and became a full-time writer.

“I probably knew I wanted to write since junior high,” Shannon said. “My father suggested I go into library science so I’d have something to fall back on.”

Shannon submitted his first children’s manuscript to a New York publisher when he was just 16.

“Of course, they said no,” he recalls.

Eleven years later, “Lizard’s Song” was accepted for publication. Shannon didn’t realize it at the time, but the book is about learning who you are and not trying to be somebody else.

He used to think he didn’t have anything to write about because nothing important enough happened to him.

With this book, he learned from his characters that his best stories come from his own loves and fears, life adventures and dreams.

Shannon keeps a journal and is inspired by what he sees and hears as he goes about his daily business. He usually juggles a couple of stories at different stages at the same time.

“When it looks like you’re not doing anything, things are ruminating and germinating,” Shannon said. “Writing is like a large jigsaw puzzle. It continues through rewrites that are part of the process. Piece by piece, the parts fit together to make a whole story.”

His biggest job, he said, is paying attention to everything: postcards, jokes, scenes from movies, walking in Seattle. “They are all those puzzle pieces.”

Island destiny

Shannon has lived on Bainbridge for 13 years and shares his home with his cat Thelma Louise.

He always wanted to live in the Pacific Northwest, and in high school made a list of possible homes when he grew up – it spanned the distance from Juneau to Portland.

“I just knew from what I read and the artwork I’d seen and the indigenous people that this was where I needed to be,” Shannon said. “Later I did residences-in-writing (in the Pacific Northwest) and in Alaska. In the early ’90s, it finally worked out. I followed the wrong person here and we moved to Bainbridge. And I’m still here.”

Excluding the scenery, Kansas and Bainbridge share some qualities, Shannon has found.

“They are, in many, many ways, like small islands,” he said. “Where we lived was a 60-mile drive from Wichita, one of two cities in the state. We would go there maybe four times a year because it was so far away.

“Culturally and politically, they are so different. When I go back to the Midwest –my mother still lives in Kentucky – I feel like an alien and they think I’m an alien, too.”

The people, though, are pretty much the same, he added.

In addition to writing, Shannon gives workshops and presentations around the globe.

“I go anyplace they ask me,” he said.

He is looking forward to an upcoming trip to Jakarta, Indonesia, thanks to a recommendation from a former Bainbridge teacher who works in the international school there. His goal is to lead students through writing workshops and brainstorming, so they can share the stories they have to tell.

As for success, he said, “You don’t dare trust it. Then you can get sloppy or take things for granted.”

“I am very tied to the oral tradition. (My books) are going to be read out loud, and sound is very important. It’s the soul of the writing,” Shannon said. “It has to be a good and entertaining story.”

Every story he writes has a theme that matters to him.

“And I want to tell it in the most light-hearted, playful way I can,” he said.

* * * * *

Bring the kids

Bainbridge children’s author George Shannon will read his new book, “The Secret Chicken Club” (Handprint Books, $15.95 hardback) at 11 a.m. Nov. 12 at Eagle Harbor Books.

The free event is geared to youngsters ages 3 and up, and will include refreshments, a question-and-answer session and a book signing. Debbie the Dancing Cow will make a special appearance.

Shannon also will provide a sneak preview of “Busy in the Garden,” slated for publication next spring. To learn more about him, visit www.georgeshannon.org.