Former Windham residents publish new children’s book

In their new children’s book, ABC Ducks of Deering Oaks Park, author Jeanine (Belanger) Deas and illustrator Andrew Bourassa splash down into one of their favorite Portland, Maine parks to help young readers learn their ABCs … one delightful duck at a time.

Former Windham resident Jeanine
(Belanger) Deas reads her new 'ABC
Ducks of Deering Oaks Park' book
to ma child at the Waterville Public
Library on April 11. Former
Windham resident Andrew Bourassa
contributed illustrations for the
book. SUBMITTED PHOTO     

Jeanine (Belanger) Deas is a graduate of Windham High School and Andrew Bourassa lived in Windham from 2020 to 2024 as a Kennebec Valley Community Action Program, a coach with HomeStart, and a volunteer at the Maine State Correctional Institute.

Featuring whimsical, rib-tickling illustrations drawn by Bourassa, ABC Ducks of Deering Oaks Park has already been hailed by long-time Dish magazine book reviewer Rachel Gladstone as “a charming book for kiddos who get to learn their ABCs with help from their fine-feathered friends!”

It’s a playful alphabet book set in one of Portland, Maine’s most beloved green spaces. From waddling and quacking to splashing and zigzagging, 26 lively ducks introduce young readers to the alphabet through simple actions and engaging scenes.

Designed for pre-K through grade 3, this charming early reader supports letter recognition, vocabulary building, and early reading skills. Set around the real Deering Oaks Pond, the book also gently celebrates curiosity, individuality, and community.

With expressive illustrations and a warm sense of place, ABC Ducks of Deering Oaks Park is perfect for shared reading at home, classroom use, and young readers just beginning their reading journey.

The book is available through 12WillowsPress and supports letter recognition, vocabulary building, and early reading skills. According to early childhood educator and training facilitator Danielle E. Warren, the new book is helpful for new readers and a lot of fun too.  

“This book is great,” Warren said. “It is a playful, alliterative ABC book that goes far beyond simple letter recognition, supporting phonemic awareness, vocabulary growth, and early reading fluency.”

For more details about ABC Ducks of Deering Oaks Park, visit https://12willowspress.com/home/books/abc-ducks/ <