Works in Progress
Illustration by Jerry Bennett
DONELLA THE BRAVE
Picture Book
UNDER CONTRACT WITH OGHMA CREATIVE MEDIA
Donella, a small dragon, sneaks into a forbidden village seeking a human friend. Everyone runs away, except for one boy named Dirk. They play together until a feud breaks out between the villagers and other dragons. Can Donella and Dirk’s new friendship change the long-held belief that dragons and people can never be friends?
Illustration by Jerry Bennett
IMAGINE A ZOO
Picture Book
UNDER CONTRACT WITH OGHMA CREATIVE MEDIA
Jon’s birthday gift is a blank zoo book. He’s disappointed until the “talking book” explains he has to use his imagination to see the zoo inside. Jon spends the day watching his imagined animals do all kinds of unusual things. At the end of the day, just as “book” promised, everything he’s seen ends up magically on colorful pages. There’s one catch. The magic only lasts until morning, so he’ll have to use his imagination every day.
JAE AND JOJO
Picture Book
Two mischievous sugar gliders, Jae and Jojo, glide down off their jungle tree while their Papa is napping. At first, they have fun, but things get dangerous when they encounter a tiger, a crocodile, and a snake. When they return to their tree, they’re exhausted, and Papa can’t understand why they are so tired.
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BEHIND THE FENCE
Middle Grade Novel
Stoney lost his dad, endured a move to a small town, and lives with a mother fighting depression. To top it off, his new neighbors are very strange and Stoney believes they are hiding a howling “monster” in their backyard. But he needs proof. His search gets him into trouble at school, and incites a frenzied mob to form on his neighbor’s front yard. He’s forced to forget about his own safety and help the “monster” escape the dangerous situation he created.
BART THE BEAN
Picture Book
This is a bean plant story told from the bean’s perspective.
Bart the Bean is plucked out of his cozy bean sack and is unhappy when he becomes part of a science experience. He doesn’t like hot sunlight or soaking in water. He’s confused about what’s happening. However, he finds his perceived suffering is really bringing about positive changes. He’s becoming what he was meant to be all along—a bean plant!
CRICKET’S EYE
Picture Book
Cricket is a doll that’s missing an eye. Olivia, her owner, finds an emerald in the grass and thinks it would be a good replacement for the lost eye. She pushes too hard and the emerald falls inside the doll’s head. When Olivia discovers the emerald belongs to her neighbor, she must find a way to return it.
Pilot
Teacher
Fireman
Lawyer
Doctor
Scuba Diver
GOBS OF JOBS
Picture Book
A book for younger children using rhyme and riddles to make learning about different jobs fun. Each verse contains several clues, ending with the question: WHO AM I?
UP IN THE CLOUDS
Picture Book
UNDER CONTRACT WITH OGHMA CREATIVE MEDIA
This book is a guessing game that focuses on animal shapes - ideal for a board book with pull up tabs or other similar formats. I have two additional books which includes other animals and well-known objects such as umbrellas and ice cream cones.
BIRTHDAY SURPRISE
Board Book
Molly places birthday balloons all over the house. The night after her party, a thunderstorm wakes her. When she runs to find her parents, she is confronted by a giant mouse. When she turns on the lights, Molly sees there isn’t a mouse at all. It’s a birthday surprise.