Maryland author Mona Smith's love of animals and her friendship with the family of a trumpet-playing prodigy, Geoffrey Gallante, were the inspirations for her new children’s fiction book, Rocko the Hero.
She set out to create a tale that touches on what makes Maryland special, highlights a gifted child, and celebrates the love that animals can bring to people’s lives. Basing the story on the dog her husband adopted from a shelter as a puppy, she hopes this book will create awareness for animal organizations such as the ASPCA, which a portion of the book’s earnings will benefit.
Suddenly Rocko smelled a new smell that he did not recognize, a smell that was full of danger, a wild smell that did not belong in Piney Orchard. It was a smell of jungles and faraway places. “But what could it be?” Rocko wondered.