In a book of breathtaking beauty, Penfield Books presents "Iowa Pastel Landscapes," a collection of Iowa scenes as captured by lifelong artist Marcia Wegman. In May, 2014, Iowa Pastel Landscapes was a finalist in the 2014 24th Annual Midwest Book Awards promoted by the Midwest Independent Publishers Association. Marcia Wegman was a finalist in the Illustration: Graphic category. There were 363 books entered in the contest with 43 categories. One hundred and eighty-five of Wegman's pastel paintings are presented in this full-color book. The paintings are divided into sections on landscapes; farms; cattle; wildflowers and grass; sky; rivers, lakes, and creeks; spring; summer; fall; winter; roads and trails; and diptych, triptych, and quadriptych. Wegman, who lives in Iowa City, Iowa, also writes in the book about her love of nature and how she came to work in pastels late in life. She works fast, often referring to landscape and sky photographs she has taken during walks, and even at stoplights when she's driving. Her work is widely collected and is part of many private and public collections, including those at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Wegman builds on the artistic legacy of Grant Wood, "employing the challenging medium of pastel to explore the magical effects of sky, earth, and light of this place called Iowa," notes David W. Wright, a museum curator and historian living in Decorah, Iowa. The pastels, he adds, "demonstrate the picturesque diversity of Iowa's landscapes." Wegman's other books are "A Look at Latvia and Lithuania" and "Lula Belle," a story about a friendly urban raccoon and her family as captured by Wegman in photographs, pastels, and prose. All are Penfield Books titles.

The Prague astronomical clock is featured on the front cover. The back cover features people in medieval attire among the performers in a festival of The Five Petalled Rose in Cesky Krumlov, The Czech Republic. Edited by Joanne Asala. Proverbs from the Czech language. Friends, Man's Best Friend, Husbands and Wives, The Great Outdoors, Law and Order, Religion, The LIfe of a Peasant, The Czech Spirit, Bread and Butter, Wine and Spirits, Words Spoken, Health and Medicine, Money Makes the World Go Around, Sage Words, and The Passing of Time. Examples: Everyone drives the water to his own mill. You must travel over a rough road to reach the stars. Eat slowly and speak slowly, and you will live a long life. When food tastes its finest, stop eating. Sing the song of the one whose bread you eat. Many, many, more. Detailed black and white illustrations.