Meet The Author
Patrice A. LeMoine is a Connecticut author whose lifelong love for animals and community inspired Barney, The Big Brown Dog. Influenced by her family’s experience with Seeing Eye dogs and animal rescue work, Patrice created Barney’s story to encourage compassion, kindness, and empathy in young readers while raising awareness for rescue animals and shelters.
About Patrice A. Lemoine
Patrice LeMoine is a lifelong resident of Connecticut with a career in non-profit and for-profit organizations.
Her eldest brother became blind at a very young age. Eventually over the years, his many Seeing Eye dogs were introduced to the family, and the family gained a new respect for guide dogs, particularly German Shepherds. This love for animals led Patrice’s sisters to dedicate their time to animal rescue shelters. Her twin sister, Suzanne, volunteered her time with rescue and foster care services for Golden Retrievers and Labradors, which is when she introduced Patrice and her family to Barney!
Patrice has volunteered for a number of local charities and continues to serve as recording secretary to local boards and commissions in the community; more recently, she volunteers by reading with elementary students and is a board member at Bloom Academy in Las Vegas, a micro-school for special children. Patrice is the mother of a wonderful son and resides in Cheshire with her sister’s rescue pups Rose and Bailey and the owner of two precious rescue cats, Abner and Babe.
About the Illustrator
Rebecca Popp is a native of Cincinnati. A graduate from Ohio University where she earned her. Bachelor’s degree in Communications, with a major in Animation and Game Design, plus Marketing. She has always had a passion for illustrating for as long as she can remember. Her dream is to one day have her own animated comedy series. She shares the story that ever since she was a little girl, her grandma would guide her hand and share with Rebecca her own passion for the art, which is how she inevitably passed down her creativity for the art to Rebecca. She is very honored to be a part of this book and "I am so grateful that a book as charming as this one is my first to ever be published!"