Petra's Pier Picnic

A book for children 5-10 years to teach about hunger and sharing.

Petra and her dad take a birthday fishing trip to a pier full of people, where she learns about hunger and sharing and then returns to her family to tell her "fish story". Petra's birthday gifts-- a new fish and a new fishing pole-- make her aware of hunger in the world and the need to respond.

By Phyllis Vos Wezeman, with fabulous drawings by African artist Oscar Joyo, this new children’s book is sure to become a favorite.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR – Phyllis Wezeman

As a religious educator, Phyllis Wezeman has served as Director of Christian Nurture at a downtown congregation in South Bend, Indiana; Executive Director of the Parish Resource Center of Michiana; and Program Coordinator for ecumenical as well as interfaith organizations in Indiana and Michigan.

In academics, Phyllis has been Adjunct Faculty in the Education Department at Indiana University South Bend and in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame.  She is an "Honorary Professor" of the Saint Petersburg (Russia) State University of Pedagogical Art where she has taught methods courses for extended periods on several occasions.  She has also been guest lecturer at the Shanghai Teachers College in China.

As founder of the not-for-profit Malawi Matters, Inc., she develops and directs HIV & AIDS Education programs with thousands of volunteers in nearly 200 villages in Malawi, Africa including “Creative Methods of HIV & AIDS Education,” “Culture & HIV-AIDS,” and “Equipping Women/Empowering Girls.”

Author or co-author of nearly 2,000 articles and books, she has written for over 80 publishers.

Phyllis served as President of Active Learning Associates, Inc.; a consultant or board member to numerous local and national organizations such as the American Bible Society, Church World Service, and the Peace Child Foundation; leader of a six-week youth exchange program to Russia and the Ukraine; and Project Director for four Lilley Worship Renewal grants.  She is the recipient of three “Distinguished Alumni Awards" and recipient of the Aggiornamento Award from the Catholic Library Association.

Wezeman holds undergraduate degrees in Business, Communications, and General Studies from various institutions and an MS in Education from Indiana University South Bend.

Phyllis and her husband Ken (who met when they were in second and third grade in elementary school) have three children and their spouses, Stephanie (Jeff), David, and Paul (Deha), five grandchildren, Quin, Ayle, Lief, Ashley, and Jacob, and two great-grandsons, Maddox and Troy.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR – Oscar Joyo

Oscar Joyo (b.1992,Lilongwe, Malawi). At a young age, he was introduced to art by his mother but his passion grew through animation, comic books, video games, and film. He moved to the United States in 2000 from Malawi and lived in South Bend, Indiana where he continued to pursue art to serve as means of expression and communication.

After graduating high school in 2011, Oscar moved to Chicago to attend the American Academy of Art and explore the creative Chicago art scene. He graduated with a BFA in life drawing at the American Academy of Art in 2015. Technical training in traditional drawing skills from the Academy led him to find interests in professional illustration, graphic design, photography, and fine art.

Oscar currently lives in Chicago and has been involved in many artist exhibitions and projects around Chicago. He has also been a part of showcases outside of the city such as The Society of Illustrators student exhibition in New York, Congressional Art Exhibition and Digital Arts Showcase in South Korea. He has also done murals for Healthy Hood, Vault Gallerie, and Audiotree. Oscar hopes to continue pushing forward and expanding his creativity to other avenues.