Nat Turdo Illustrated by Jim Heil
Ignatius can't wait to go to school and meet his new friends. However, once he arrives, he discovers that his name - which he always thought was nothing out of the ordinary - is actually very unusual. Because Ignatius refuses to be called anything but his given name, his classmates often tease him. After a little pep talk from his friend Joey and a surprise announcement from a boy named Neil, Ignatius suddenly realizes having a different name isn't such a bad thing after all.
Ignatius (Nat) Vincent Turdo was born in Brooklyn, New York. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from St. Louis University in 1983, and has worked for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat in advertising production, the McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) Corporation in the editing of labor-oriented publications, and St. Louis University School of Medicine in medical photography and publications editing. He has also assisted in the editing of The Ultimate Redline Guide (second edition, 2005) and The Ultimate Redline Guide Companion (2007), and has written articles for The Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis.
Now self-employed, Ignatius and his family reside in Hazelwood, Missouri.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
James Edward Heil was born in Madison, Illinois. He graduated from Madison High School in 1972 and has worked in a variety of business settings, including the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Acme Premium Supply, Pet Inc., Columbus Dental Supply and several St. Louis area banking institutions. His love for art came at an early age, and his talent for drawing caricatures eventually captured the attention of such companies as City Mimes Entertainment, The Fun Source, Inc., Abra Cadabra Entertainment, and Carnivals, Casinos and More Ltd., all located within the St. Louis area.
Jim is currently employed at St. Louis College of Pharmacy and resides with his family in Granite City, Illinois.
After school, Ignatius went to his friend Joey's house.
"I didn't know my name was so different," Ignatius said to Joey. "Does it sound funny to you?"
"Not anymore," Joey replied. "It's not a hard name to forget. I'll bet everyone in the whole school will remember you just because your name is so different."
