Having grown up on a non-working farm where animals (horses, cows, pigs, sheep, ducks, chickens and turkeys) were raised as cherished members of the family rather than commercial livestock, Maya Lee Shye learned to love and respect all living beings. Therefore, of course, no one was surprised when she decided to study zoology and then to marry a doctor of veterinary medicine who practices holistic methods on his furry, feathery or leathery patients.
Ms. Shye and her husband Don set up a household on a generous expanse of land onto which they adopted animals from nearby farmers in order to set them free and allow them to live out their natural lives unmolested by commercialized greed. The Shyes dedicated their entire lives to the welfare of their animals while also attempting to raise awareness about their inherent rights in as many arenas as they were able to reach.
In spite of their hard work on behalf of other species, Maya Lee and Don took the time to raise a couple of children to whom they bequeathed the same keen sense of responsibility to care for the optimal interests of all sentient beings. Thus, both Shye children went on to become paleontologists who specialize in animal fossils.
Although animals had always been at the top of her list of interests, Maya Lee Shye was also passionate about writing and she has produced quite a few rather impressive literary compositions. Friends and family have repeated tried to encourage her to publish the work but she never had the desire or felt the need until recently.
Finally, Maya Lee Shye is in the process of not only writing but also publishing books about animals of today’s world as well as those from days past. And the first one in this animal series is: “The Dinosaurs – A Picture Book for Kids: Prehistoric Creatures from Long Ago.”