52 OCTOBER 2021 | TheJournalNJ.com
BY SHANNA O’MARA
Suzana Palej-DeLeon has always loved animals.
She grew up in New York City, rescuing
injured pigeons and caring for stray cats. Two
years ago, she and her husband moved their family
to Rumson. Now, their house is full of love and litterboxes
as they and their 15-year-old son, Aydin,
years old,” Palej-DeLeon said. “I was living in Astoria,
Queens, and my friend and I were outside
playing hopscotch. I heard meows coming from an
alleyway. We went down there and explored, and
we found two kittens in the trash. I took one home,
and she took the other. I named mine Tiger. When
I got home, my mom was kind of like, ‘Whatever
your dad says,’ and my dad wanted nothing to do
with an animal in the house. He said he was going
to throw the kitten out, and I said, ‘You’ll have to
throw me out too.’”
And with that, Tiger found his new home.
Years later, Palej-DeLeon now has dogs Milo
and Lulu as well as cats Blue, Phoebe, Finn, Rey and newest addition Wol-
much of her time with her furry friends. She began documenting their
quirks, her love for them and the story of how her mission to save animals
came to be. Through this, “Suzy and Her Pets” was born: a self-published
children’s book about a little girl who loves all species.
“My animals have so much personality, and they were my inspirations.
Through the book, I wanted to give them more life. They make
great characters. Why make up characters when I have the perfect ones
right in my house? The title actually came about because I was reading
Elton John’s memoir, and the song ‘Bennie and the Jets’ was stuck in my
head,” Palej-DeLeon laughed. “One day during lockdown, I was in my bed
reading, and I had all my animals with me. My husband came in and said,
‘Look at you.’ We just realized it was ‘Suzy and Her Pets.’”
Through the production process, Palej-DeLeon met Morgan Spicer, an
Atlantic Highlands-based artist who agreed to illustrate the story.
“Working as a freelance illustrator gives me the freedom to work on
projects that I am passionate about, so naturally most of my books feature
animals,” Spicer said. “I also love working with authors who truly care
about the books they write and the characters within them. I could feel Suzana's
passion for her animal companions, and that, coupled with many,
many photos of her adorable furry family members, helped give me the
inspiration needed to complete the illustrations for this delightful story. I
think a lot of children can relate to Suzy's tale, and it is my hope that little
companions in their own lives.”
The author’s husband, Ken DeLeon, said the book has reached readers
all over the country including, of course, their own friends and family
who love going on the literary adventure.
“We know how much animals have enriched our everyday lives, and
this is a little way to try to give back,” he said. “Hopefully this will inspire
the next generation to also love animals – help our little furry friends,
rescue them, love them, be kind to them. Even if we save one
animal, it’s an accomplishment.”
Saving animals is a passion that main character Suzy shares
with the author.
in life: to start my own animal rescue,” Palej-DeLeon said. “Suzy
lives in the country and wants to save animals. I lived in the city,
but there’s only so many pigeons you can rescue.”
For more information, visit SuzyAndHerPets.com. The book
is available for purchase online through Amazon and Barnes and
Noble as well as in Fair Haven stores Distinctive Toys and River
Road Books.
Three things to know:
1. Suzana Palej-DeLeon and her husband recently found
baby screech owls that fell from a tree during a storm. They
rescued them and brought them to Toms River Avian Care for
further treatment.
2. She founded Clever Cat Books LLC, through which she
published “Suzy and Her Pets.”
3. Suzy’s story is set in the country because Palej-DeLeon
was inspired by her summers spent in the European
countryside of Montenegro.
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