The Llamas of ShangriLlama

THE LLAMAS OF SHANGRILLAMA

November 11, 2012

What would you do if your child asked for 

a dog or a cat or a rabbit or a hamster?

 How about a reptile? 

 Many parents would just say yes, and buy the animal at a pet store or from a breeder, or get a free pet at a rescue league or shelter after learning about animal care online. 

But what if your child asked for a LLAMA?

Where would shop? 

How would you learn about its needs?

That’s the situation Mama Llama found herself in a few years ago (before she was Mama Llama). Her son wanted not one, not two, but six llamas—a full pack. So mom and son went to llama farms, learned about the quirky animals—and fell in love. Everything changed, including their home address in the city to a private zoo now called ShangriLlama. 

Before you think that Mama Llama is overindulgent or completely crazy, consider this:

·                    Llamas don’t bite or kick.

·                    Llamas don’t have an odor, because there’s no oil in their wool, which doesn’t shed.

·                    Llamas eat one flake of hay each day. That doesn’t cost much.

·                    Llamas conveniently poop in shared piles, not all over the yard.

·                    Llama “beans" don’t have an odor, because llamas fully process their food.

·                    Llama beans are the ideal fertilizer and mulch starter.

·                    Llamas are stunningly, fascinatingly beautiful to look at.

·                    Llamas defy gravity the way they run and play.

·                    A pack of llamas provides non-stop hilarity.

·                    Llamas like to take walks, which greatly amuses the neighbors.

Basically, llamas are the perfect pet. Yet few people know the facts about these captivating animals, which have been domesticated for more than 5,000 years! So Mama Llama decided to write a book about llamas.

But she didn’t write a boring fact book. That wouldn’t reflect the playfulness of llamas! Instead, her book whimsically reveals the facts about llamas from head to toe in rhyme (iambic tetrameter, to be exact). And the real llamas that live at ShangriLlama have been transformed into caricatures (all copyrighted), as follows:

Drama Llama is not included in the book, because he came to ShangriLlama after The Llamas of ShangriLlama was halfway written. To see this dramatic looking llama, please visit www.ShangriLlama.com.

The playful characters for the book were designed by Patrick Williams, a gifted artist with a quirky sense of humor. He was graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and now serves as director of digital arts at Orange County School of the Arts in Santa Ana, CA. His book illustrations are hilarious, especially in the subplot of llama beans hiding on every page, mimicking the storyline. Find the beans if you can!

In The Llamas of ShangriLlama, readers will learn more than 30 interesting llama facts, including:

·                    Can llamas really hum, cluck and scream?

·                    Which fruit looks like llama ears?

·                    How do llamas eat without their top front teeth?

·                    Why do llamas spit?

·                    How are llama beans made?

·                    How can llamas walk with only two toes on each foot?

 You can discover the answers in The Llamas of ShangriLlama. 

This whimsical, educational book is NOW available at www.ShangriLlama.com,
signed by the author on request. It is the first--and possibly only--children's book that teaches about llamas. Adults will enjoy it, too!

But if you're looking to meet llamas, not just read about them, 

do come visit the llamas of ShangriLlama at their private zoo. 

We've since relocated from California to the Dallas, Texas, area. Yee haw!

Happy Trails from Mama Llama!