I expect that the folks at Shepherd.com approached me as a picture book author, since I’m the author of eleven picture books, including the four books of the Vampirina Ballerina series, which were adapted into the Disney Junior hit series Vampirina. But my thoughts and ideas about friendship and community really stem from once having been a child myself and from being a parent of four children, each of whom approached the roller coaster ride of childhood friendship in their unique ways. I was always happy to help them find answers in a book, even when those answers involved more, and deeper, questions.
A misunderstanding about the intended recipient of a love letter first brings Hedgehog, Bunny, and Squirrel great joy, but then threatens their friendship. In the end, Mouse helps them remember why they love each other. The final illustration even suggests that Mouse is joining their circle, since after all, love is unlimited. The Love Letter struck me first as a writer, because I recognized a unique story premise; and then I realized how much tenderness underlies both the text and the illustration.
"Appealing illustrations combine with a timely message that one kind act can start a chain reaction of kindness. A sweet and far-from-cloying ode to love." -Kirkus
Fall in love with this endearing and adorable picture book that illustrates how a little bit of heart goes a long way to making the world a better place.
Hedgehog, Bunny, and Squirrel are best friends. One day, they each find a letter. But not just any letter...
A love letter.
My word!
My whiskers!
Aww, nuts!
Someone loves them. But who? The answer may surprise you!…
I’m a former reading specialist/educational specialist who still enjoys reading aloud to students, helping kids learn to read, and introducing them to quality literature. I love reading picture books...and I write them to entertain and empower kids.
The story inspires sadness, hope, and happiness. At first, you’ll feel sorry for Mr. Hatch. You’ll care about him and wonder why he is the way he is. You’ll watch him receive a gift that has a lasting effect on him. Then, with a turn of events, you’ll feel sorry for him again. But by the end, you’ll be rooting for him.
One wintry day, a postman delivers a mysterious package with a big pink bow to a lonely man named Mr. Hatch.
"Somebody loves you," the note says. "Somebody loves me!" Mr. Hatch sings as he dusts his living room. "Somebody loves me!" Mr. Hatch whistles as he does his errands in town. "But who," Mr. Hatch wonders, "could that somebody be?"
When Mr. Hatch discovers just who his secret admirer is, the answer is even better than he could have guessed!
I’m the USA Today bestselling author of nineteen romances including the He Wanted Me Pregnant! series of short, steamy, standalone reads, several of which feature curvy heroines. I believe there’s room in romance for heroes and heroines of all shapes and sizes and I love to see curvy girls find their one-and-only: someone who loves them exactly the way they are. I like my curvy heroines to be smart, witty, and have depth and I like my romances to be just the right mix of squee-inducing instalove and steamy scenes.
Okay, I admit it, I may have picked this one up because I was curious, as a romance author, to read a romance abouta romance author. Fern Fraser totally delivers and although we have some tried-and-tested tropes here (instalove, young heroine who wants to get her v-card punched, secret billionaire who hides his wealth, then has to come clean), Fern assembles all the ingredients into such a delicious, feel-good pie that it feels fresh. There’s a whole series if you find you like them, but each one stands on its own as a fun, steamy read.
♥ A dare, a lie and a vacation fling that just might lead to a forever kind of love ♥
Emmy
I might be young and idealistic, but I set goals in life. One of which–being a successful romance author–I’m already living. While at a writer’s retreat with my besties, I drink too much Champagne and let my secret slip. I may write about dirty things but have no real life experience. My friend suggests a solution and the smoking hot mountain resort groundskeeper seems like the perfect candidate to help solve my ‘V-card ‘problem.’
I am a New York Times Bestselling author of more than twenty children’s picture books and chapter books as well as a mom to two young kids. Nothing fills me with more joy than reading to children and witnessing how a story can open up their hearts and minds. And Valentine’s Day is a holiday that brings me extra joy because it’s all about spreading love and friendship. I love Valentine’s Day so much that I’ve written two picture books about it!
For me, this book works wonders as a sweet Valentine to my kids and a bedtime book we reach for over and over again. The bold and bright illustrations are super fun, and the rhyming text is silly and unexpected. In this story, a young girl details her bedtime routine with all the members of her family—including her dog—as they say how much they love each other. This fun story always prompts my kids and I to come up with our own “I love you more than” comparisons, too.
In this funny bedtime book, celebrate the love between a child and her family as she is tucked in each night with smiles, hugs—and plenty of humorous comparisons to unicorns, chocolate, doughnuts, and dinosaurs!
It’s time for bed, but this lucky young girl has a very special and different way to do it every night! Mommy tucks her in and says she loves her more than unicorns, chocolate fountains, doughnuts, and Ferris wheels shaped like pizzas. Grandpa loves her more than friendly aliens, and the little girl loves her grandpa more than dinosaurs in ballroom gowns on Mars. And Daddy…
I am a New York Times Bestselling author of more than twenty children’s picture books and chapter books as well as a mom to two young kids. Nothing fills me with more joy than reading to children and witnessing how a story can open up their hearts and minds. And Valentine’s Day is a holiday that brings me extra joy because it’s all about spreading love and friendship. I love Valentine’s Day so much that I’ve written two picture books about it!
This book has so much quiet, creative sweetness in it, and I just love the theme of using what you find to make something special. Cornelia Augusta discovers that it’s raining hearts one day, so she gathers them up. As she examines each heart, she sees how unique they are—and she decides to make Valentines with them to send to her animal friends. This book is also a perfect way to jump-start craft time for making Valentine’s Day cards.
A creative and sweet story, perfect for Valentine's Day, that helps open the hearts of young readers. From the beloved illustrator of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
One day it rains hearts, and Cornelia Augusta catches them. She realizes that the hearts are perfect for making valentines. Each heart is special in its own way, and Cornelia Augusta knows exactly who to send them to: her animal friends.
A fun way to spark creativity and thoughtfulness! The perfect book to pair with Valentine's Day crafts.
I love young adult fiction. I especially love it when female characters face their fears and fight for what’s right. And if they’re not afraid to run headfirst into a battle, even better. I think it’s incredibly important for young women to have access to books that break free of female stereotypes. None of the heroines in these books are waiting for someone to save them. They’re in the thick of it, confronting their demons, and maybe slaying a few, too! My PhD explored power and belonging in YA fiction, and I’ve written and presented on the importance of strong female characters. Here’s to girl power!
Valentine is the first in a three-book urban fantasy series, and I’ll be honest: Pearl, the heroine, annoyed me at times. That doesn’t make her a bad character. Quite the opposite. Author Jodi McAlister gives her heroine room to grow over the course of the trilogy and I really enjoyed watching Pearl’s character develop and mature. She has a lot to cope with when the Unseelie comes looking for the fairy changeling that was swapped for a human at birth. Is it Pearl? Or one of the three others in her group that share the same birthday? I loved the way Pearl’s teenage suburban life contrasts with the terrifying and unpredictable Unseelie. It makes the menacing evil within the book all too real. I read it with one eye on my garden in case of invading evil faeries!
Will a shocking secret cause a rising star to fall?
Valentine Fleming dreams of making it as an actress but after years of failed auditions and bit parts her hopes are fading fast - so too is her self-esteem. She is staring into the abyss and a large jar of peanut butter. Her love life is faring no better, with too much time wasted with an ex who has bad news written all over him.
So when she gets a call from her agent telling her she has a part in a play with a sexy leading man, she's over…
I am a New York Times Bestselling author of more than twenty children’s picture books and chapter books as well as a mom to two young kids. Nothing fills me with more joy than reading to children and witnessing how a story can open up their hearts and minds. And Valentine’s Day is a holiday that brings me extra joy because it’s all about spreading love and friendship. I love Valentine’s Day so much that I’ve written two picture books about it!
Porcupine’s clueless optimism and the adorably expressive illustrations by Lori Richmond are what draw me into this fun book. Porcupine is excited to make some love matches on Valentine’s Day by using his quills like cupid’s arrows. But what he doesn’t realize is that his pokes are making everybody mad instead! With a forest full of angry animals on his hands, Porcupine calls a meeting that ends up bringing the friends together with love after all. And even Porcupine gets a Valentine of his own.
A porcupine hatches a prickly plan to bring his animal friends together on Valentine's Day in this humorous, heartwarming tale where everyone gets a happily ever after.
Love is in the air this Valentine's Day-or it will be if Porcupine has any say. He uses his quills like Cupid's arrows, hoping to bring the sweet and sentimental spirit of the holiday to all his forest friends. But with every poke! that Porcupine gives, he gets a hey!, ouch!, or yowser! in return.
It seems Porcupine's mission isn't turning out quite like he planned, but with some quick thinking he might…
I’ve worked on the frontlines of the hospital, clinic, and delivery rooms for the last 25 years and in global settings after traumatic disasters…As a physician activist, Justice is my act of service. And yet, the moment I found out my young son had a fatal illness, fighting for Justice felt elusive. Until I started fighting for myself. Until I realized that if I walked back toward my unfathomable pain, I could find something revolutionary... Joy. Now, this work of finding Joy has become my most potent medicine for my patients and myself. It is my mission to make sure everyone knows Joy is accessible. No matter what.
I love this book of poetry because it is so easy to pick up and read one poem like a meditation.
Each one invites the reader to explore Joy in their surroundings and inner world as something that is so accessible to them. I use it almost as a mirror to reflect back to myself my most powerful and Joyful capacity when I have forgotten it. It’s a perfect book for anyone’s bedside or altar.
A celebration of hope. An encounter with grace. A restoration of the heart. A healing of wounds. An anthem of freedom. This illustrated collection of poetry and prose invites you to stumble into the sunlight and delight in the wild and boundless grace you've been given.
Popular Instagram poet and bestselling author Morgan Harper Nichols gives you the ultimate love letter to your mind, heart, soul, and body, reminding you:
There is a purpose in every season
No matter how you want to race through this day or run away from this place, you are invited to live fully-right here,…
I am a New York Times Bestselling author of more than twenty children’s picture books and chapter books as well as a mom to two young kids. Nothing fills me with more joy than reading to children and witnessing how a story can open up their hearts and minds. And Valentine’s Day is a holiday that brings me extra joy because it’s all about spreading love and friendship. I love Valentine’s Day so much that I’ve written two picture books about it!
This is a great story about keeping your heart open and not making snap judgments. Cat does not like Valentine’s Day and has no interest in celebrating it. He especially does not want to celebrate with his new neighbor, Dog. After all, Dog has been throwing things over the fence at Cat! How rude. But just went Cat decides to tell Dog exactly what he thinks, Cat gets an unexpected surprise—and maybe even a new friend too! This is such a funny and sweet story full of humor and heart.
Cat does NOT like Valentine's Day. It's much too mushy, and no way is he making a valentine for anyone- especially not his new neighbour, Dog. Dog refuses to respect the fence: he keeps tossing over old bones and a hitting Cat in the head! But just as Cat's about to send Dog an angry "valentine" telling him exactly what he can do with his bones, Dog throws a ball over the fence. What is Dog playing at? Cat is in for a hilarious - and heartwarming - surprise in this story about being perhaps too quick to judge.
I am a New York Times Bestselling author of more than twenty children’s picture books and chapter books as well as a mom to two young kids. Nothing fills me with more joy than reading to children and witnessing how a story can open up their hearts and minds. And Valentine’s Day is a holiday that brings me extra joy because it’s all about spreading love and friendship. I love Valentine’s Day so much that I’ve written two picture books about it!
My kids never get tired of hearing this story! Love Monster is an adorable hero who faces a bit of a struggle when he discovers a box of chocolates waiting on his doorstep. At first, he wants to keep the yummy treats all to himself. But then his heart gets this squeezy feeling and he decides to share them with his friends. Little does he know, but Love Monster’s friends have a surprise waiting for him! This story is a great lesson in not jumping to conclusions, and in keeping your heart open.
A deliciously funny story featuring Love Monster, who now appears in his own animated television show on CBeebies!
When Love Monster finds a mystery box of chocolates at his door, he can't believe his luck. But he's soon thrown into a whirlwind of turmoil. Should he keep the chocolates for himself? Or risk the perils of sharing his good fortune with his friends?
This super-funny-rumbly-tummy-sherbert-explosion of a story shows that when faced with the selection box of life, following your heart will bring you the best treats of all.
