Aroma of skunks topic of Tina Wagner’s writing, talk to kids

COLESBURG - A crowd of kindergartners at Colesburg Elementary hangs on to Tina Wagner's every word as she holds up her 5-year-old pet skunk.

'We got her when she was 6 weeks old,” Wagner says, gently stroking the black and white animal and holding her close to her cheeks. 'Her name was going to be Petunia, but my husband had her on his chest and she peed on his stomach. So we named her Puddles.”

Puddles is the subject of a series of picture books that Wagner, of Wyoming, Iowa, has self-published, and which she brings along during her visits to schools across the state.

She also brings along Puddles - whom she describes as a 'grandma,” because skunks only last about seven to 10 years in the home - and Puddles' 'sisters,” Gracie and Sweet Pea, who are about 9 months old.

All of the skunks are females, and have had their scent glands removed, so they can't spray the stinky liquid for which they are famous.

Wagner said her daughter, Kelby, found Puddles in a Maquoketa pet store when she was 16.

'My books are about all my animals, which really are hers. That's how I got into the skunk business,” Wagner said.

Wagner, who worked at Rockwell Collins for 27 years, recently left the company, and is devoting her time to writing and educating children about her skunks. She has started a GoFundMe campaign at https://www.gofundme.com/Help-Puddles to help pay her expenses as she travels.

'I know schools have a minumum budget, and I don't want to charge to go,” Wagner said.

Children at the schools are given the chance to buy her books, which cost $18.99. They also are available for purchase on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

Wagner hopes to publish a new tome, 'Puddles the Skunk in Who Loves Me,” this June. This will be the first book to feature Gracie and Sweet Pea.

She also said the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently certified her as an exhibitor so she can go to schools outside Iowa.