THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 19, 1997 TAG: 9701210414
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY JOHN HARPER, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: NAGS HEAD LENGTH: 160 lines
ONCE UPON A time there was a woman named Suzanne Tate. She spent her days studying crabs kept in the tank near the Pond Island home she shared with her fisherman husband, Everett. Suzanne became so intrigued by the crawling crustaceans that she decided to write a book about them.
``I was fascinated with the life cycle of crabs,'' Suzanne Tate said last week from her waterfront house. ``Originally I wanted to write a textbook. But somebody beat me to it.''
So Tate found another outlet for her writing: children's books.
``I was reading to my grandson,'' she says. ``And I noticed that most of the .99 cent books weren't very good. I knew I could do better.''
With illustrator James Melvin's help, Tate created a couple of cartoon-like crabs named Crabby and Nabby. In 1988, those crabs were the title characters of her first book. That book launched an entire ``Nature Series'' of sea creature stories, which circulate throughout the country.
Nine years later, the ever-prolific author now has 18 books in print and has sold more than 600,000 copies. Aimed at kindergarten through fourth grade readers, Tate's colorful list of literary sea creatures includes Billy Bluefish, Pearlie Oyster, Spunky Spot, Mary Manatee, Perky Pelican, Stevie B. Sea Horse and dozens of others.
And coming soon to a bookstore near you is ``Oopsy Oyster,'' the 19th book in the series.
Tate's little Outer Banks-based book business is booming.
Not bad for a woman who didn't start writing until she was 57. But what a life she led before that!
The Columbus, Ohio native graduated from the University of New Mexico with a degree in anthropology and biology. After college, in 1952, Tate entered the Navy where she received a commission. She attained the rank of lieutenant junior grade and served as the assistant reserve electronic program officer at the Charleston Naval Base in South Carolina.
``My parents weren't real happy with that,'' Tate says. ``To them, a woman in the service was not the right kind of person.''
Eventually Mom and Dad came around. They sent a post card that read: ``Smooth sailing. The port is open.''
But the most enduring event Suzanne Tate experienced in South Carolina was when she met shrimp boat captain Everett Tate.
``I really wanted to go out on a shrimp boat,'' Suzanne Tate recalls. ``So when I met Everett, I told him that. He said, `Meet me at 3 a.m.'
``When I showed up, he was speechless,'' Suzanne Tate said. ``He took me shrimping. And it was wonderful.''
The couple's first encounter must have been love at first bite. After a two-month courtship, Everett and Suzanne got married. Suzanne spent eight years in the shrimp business in South Carolina. But Everett, who was born and raised on the Outer Banks, wanted to open a bait and tackle shop. So the Tates moved to Nags Head in 1962.
``It was a lifelong dream of his,'' Tate says. ``But it was not a business where you make a lot of money.''
So after a few years of floundering in the bait and tackle shop, Everett became a part-time fisherman and the full-time postmaster in Nags Head. Suzanne taught elementary school and then started Nags Head Art, a wholesale firm that produced posters and prints from paintings.
``When I wrote `Crabby and Nabby' in 1988,'' she says, ``I thought of it as just another product to sell to tourists.''
But the book sold well, mostly from word-of-mouth and recommendations by teachers.
So Suzanne stopped selling the prints and began looking for ideas for another book. When the idea came, it was from an unlikely source.
``Everett would tell me fish stories,'' she says. ``So when he told me about a bluefish, that became my next character.''
With wonderful, expressive illustrations by James Melvin, ``Billy Bluefish'' tells the tale of a young bluefish that finds that it pays to heed the advice of his elders. ``Be careful of fishermen,'' Billy's grandfather tells the young fish. ``You are going to get caught some day by a mouthful of hooks.''
Tate's books always have a message. Think of her writing as a stream of conscience.
``My first thought is telling the biological aspects of the creatures,'' she says. ``But there is always a positive message. It just comes automatically into the story. I don't have to think about it.''
Tate consults fisheries experts who feed her facts that find their way into her books. In simple, yet powerful language that kids easily can understand, the creator of ``Crabby and Nabby'' teaches lessons on self-esteem, conservation and drug use.
``I think maybe I have a knack for simplification,'' says Suzanne Tate.
The best-selling book - with 55,000 copies sold at last count - is ``Mary Manatee.'' In it, children learn why it is important to obey their parents. Mary's son, Mikey, swims dangerously close to a dock. ``But Mary Manatee was not happy. She did not want Mikey near that boat,'' Tate wrote of the 1,000-pound sea cows. ``The boat's propeller could hurt him badly. `Come back! Come back!' she squealed as she swam up. `I wish I could stay,' chirped Mikey. But he did what his mother said. He swam back to her side.'' Because the manatee listens to his mom he escapes injury and, like the characters in the rest of Tate's books, finds a happy ending.
In addition to her 18 books, Tate has published two editions of ``A Teaching Guide for Suzanne Tate's Nature Series,'' which was written by teachers for teachers who share their own classroom experiences.
``I couldn't figure out how these simple little books needed a teacher's guide,'' Tate says. ``But teachers tell me the guide helps with the scientific facts and also helps to create discussion.''
Tate writes her books in longhand - always while riding in a car or boat.
``It gets me away from distractions,'' she says. ``There's something that lulls me into thinking.''
The writing takes eight to 10 hours per book. With the story set, Tate puts the words on the pages, doing what she calls a ``mock-up.''
``That helps James,'' she says of her artist. ``He knows exactly what space he has for the illustrations.''
From there, Melvin knows what to do.
``He actually does a portrait of these animals,'' Tate says. ``James is a portrait painter. That's why I picked him to collaborate with. The expressions in the animals' eyes are so wonderful.''
Tate and Melvin take about four months to complete each book.
``Oopsie Otter'' is on its way to the Norfolk print shop that produced the first 18 books in the ``Nature Series.''
The 66-year-old Tate is recuperating from triple bypass surgery. But she is feeling better and may even make some appearances this spring in her ``Crabby Lady'' outfit. With Melvin dressed as a fisherman and Tate as a crab, the pair go into schools to read from the books and answer questions.
``When I come in as a big blue crab, it's a real ice-breaker,'' says Tate. ``Seeing 400 or 500 kids at presentation is wonderful. I just love them all.''
And as the list of literary sea creatures grows, so does the staff of Suzanne Tate's book business. Her son, Mark, 38, handles distribution. His wife, Pam, is the secretary. Doris Gard is the bookkeeper. Chris Kidder recently was hired to handle publicity and to beef up the company's Web page.
Grandsons Scott, 12, and Grant, 7 - along with Melvin's daughter, Shante, 8 - comprise an ad hoc committee that tests each book before it goes to print.
``They all take it very seriously,'' Tate says.
They must. Tate's 17th book, ``Katie K. Whale,'' was named a 1996 ``Children's Choice'' by the International Reading Association and Children's Book Council Joint Committee.
``If I never won anything else,'' says the author, ``I would still be happy.''
Tate's company also produces puzzles and coloring books that feature some of the sea creatures on her books' colorful covers. Her books can be purchased in all 50 states, Canada, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Several of the books have been translated into Spanish. Visitors to Disney World and Sea World in Florida can see Tate's family of sea creature books on display.
Call it the little book business that could.
But what about Everett and the relationship that first brought a Naval officer in touch with sea creatures? The Tates recently celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary. ``He's still fishing,'' Suzanne Tate said of her husband. ``And he is still supplying me with story ideas.''
Sounds like he was a real catch. ILLUSTRATION: [Cover, Color photo]
Everett and Suzanne Tate
Staff photos, including the cover, by DREW C. WILSON
The entire family contributes to the book business, including the
grandchildren. At the Nags Head office are Suzanne Tate with her
husband, Everett, right, and their son Mark Tate.
IN PRINT
GRAPHIC
[For a copy of the list, see microfilm for this date.]