As a mother, teacher and author, I was constantly looking for books with good stories for all ages. I also searched for a series of books that would provide activities for my children. When I couldn’t find any, I became determined to fill this need.
As a professional writer, I wrote stories based around characters who journeyed through magical worlds, faced personal challenges, and in the end became who they always wanted to be. I wanted my readers to interact with my books so that they could become a part of the experience. I wanted them to play with me, to create with me, to be engaged in the stories and become the characters. So I designed a format that invited each child to not only read the story, but to create their own vision of how the character looked and to use their imagination with some help and suggestions to draw the world their character lived in while on each unique adventure.
Gerald McDermott, a three-time Caldecott winning illustrator helped to invent illustrations that encourage young artists to work hand-in-hand with him. By taking the moment of an event in the story and evolving just enough of the environment into a soft line, Gerald has done a magnificent job that invites comprehension and completion of the visual adventure within the book that we call “invitational art.”
For many years, with prototypes in hand, we went to parents, teachers, schools and after-school programs across the country to develop and test out how this new form of children’s books was received. The results were beyond our expectations. The children loved the stories. they couldn’t believe they had their own book that they could actually play with and draw in. And the teachers and parents found that it wasn’t just another art project but a book that engaged their children in wanting to read more and understand the meaning of the words and stories. Parents were thrilled to give their children something to do for hours on end and were proud to see the results of their creative imaginations come alive on each page. These books became treasured keepsakes.
My passion is children. These unique books are inspirational guides, invitations to engage your children’s imagination and provide a genuine opportunity to learn, express, create and reveal who they are as individuals.
I invite you to explore the books, download the free pages, and set your children’s imaginations free. You’ll be surprised at how creative they can be.
Enjoy these samples from four books in the series
The Little Painter
This is the story of the Little Painter who lives in the woods with her grandmother. As the grandmother lies sick in bed, the Little Painter wanders in the forest alone drawing her grandmother’s favorite flowers and birds. Painting with colors from crushed petals and a brush made of her grandmother’s moon-white hair, the Little Painter magically brings her to life. Every day and forever they will walk through the forest together.
The Little Astronaut
This is the story of the Little Astronaut who crash lands on an unknown planet. She is frightened, but to her surprise the planet is an enchanted paradise. It gives her everything she can possibly imagine. All she has to do is think about what she needs and it appears. After a while, the Little Astronaut feels lonely. The unknown planet, having done its best and wishing to be left alone magically repairs her crushed spaceship. The Little Astronaut returns home to Earth.
The Little Toy Maker
This is the story of the Little Toy Maker who loved to make wonderful toys for the children. He could pretend to be a puppet on strings, a choo-choo train, or a wooden soldier. Though he made the children happy he was very sad. One day he dreamt he was a toy, a little toy maker. That was all he dreamt. He wished he could go back to his dream. Because he made all the children happy, his wish was granted. The Little Toy Maker became a toy to be held and loved in the arms of a child.
