This book is about the feathered and furry friends that have lived on Reilly's "Summer Seat" Farm. Their amusing antics have delighted children and adults who have come to fee and pet them over the years. We hope you enjoy these stories about our favorite animal friends - the ones that have touched our hearts and left a lasting impression. - Mimi, Ryan and Katie

"IMAGINATION IS A WONDERFUL THING. IT WILL ENABLE A CHILD TO TURN A GROUND BALL INTO A HOME RUN OR DREAMS INTO REALITY." The progression from PICTURE book to CHAPTER book is normal and effective in enhancing the use of IMAGINATION. Imagination eliminates the initial necessary crutch that pictures provided. Once the picture is planted in the mind, our children will be able to devote their concentration on the written word without the distraction of the picture. Illustrations, of course, are very effective in initially approaching a new subject, but the reading skills will hopefully develop more rapidly while concentrating on the written word. In developing the new readers' vocabulary, we should remember that a DICTIONARY or THESAURUS provides definitions and synonyms of WORDS not PICTURES, and will be often used tools in the future of our kids. Therein lies the primary goal in the evolution from picture book into chapter book format, while embracing the necessity of introducing the love of nature and science into our "GEE! A STORY FROM A FOREST" series of books. My kids taught me that. Grandpa Hill

It's summertime, and the Bumpus family is growing! Aunt Rosie and Uncle Jonathan are expecting, and the entire family gathers together at Whispering Pines for a baby shower. But with Willow's injured hand and big sisters pushing their way into the kitchen, it looks like Delia and Willow might have to surrender their aprons. When Grandma gives each of the grandchildren a family heirloom, suddenly Delia's goes missing. Could it be lost in the cupcake's batter? Follow the tasty recipes once again as Delia and Willow solve the mystery of the missing keepsake and celebrate the arrival of even more cousins in the second book in this charming series. Praise for Cupcake Cousins "[D]ebut novelist Hannigan has assembled all the ingredients for an entertaining and gentle-natured family tale." -- Publishers Weekly "Hughes' cheery black-and-white illustrations capture the cousins' exuberance, highlighting both misadventures and sentimental moments. . . . Hannigan's lively tale celebrates family and friendship." -- Kirkus Reviews

A winter illness left Lotus, a little girl, without a voice and without friends. A hunter's bullet left Feather, a crane, injured and unable to fly. As Lotus nurses Feather back to health, their bond grows. Soon Feather is following Lotus everywhere, even to school! The bird dances to the girl's reed whistle, much to the delight of the other children. One day, when the village floods, Feather helps raise the alarm as Lotus and her grandfather urge their neighbors to get to high ground. Feather is a true friend to Lotus, but the time comes when Lotus must be a true friend to him--by encouraging him to migrate with the rest of the cranes. The next spring, Feather miraculously returns, and that's not all . . . he has brought new life to the nearby lake. Inspired by the true story of a crane that rescued a Chinese village, and graced with sensitive watercolor illustrations, this lovely book about respecting nature offers deep emotion and delightful surprises.

What motivated the evolution from a personal BLOG to a series of childrens books? With every venture into the outdoors, we find some new wonder of nature, be it from the changing seasons or the change in environment. There is always something new to find, so I elected my BLOG to share the pleasures I have absorbed from my frequent wanderings. I have recently decided to evolve a portion of my writings into a childrens level series. Only because I believe that children need some additional prompting into the vocabulary of science and nature and their curiosity is the key to their success. With nominal help from teachers, mentors and especially parents, curiosity may have killed the cat, but it will certainly build the child. I felt that these discovered wonders should be shared with the children before the wonders pass them by. Simple but challenging reading may require some mentoring to start, but that is exactly what I meant to create.

In a day when farm folks pitched in together to accomplish tasks too big for one person, when strangers shared car rides, and housewives lingered over cups of hot coffee, a small boy named Joe discovered the richness of life on his grandfather's farm. A gentle, adventurous, and proud boy enraptured by farm life, Joe learned at a tender age that he had a way with animals, both domestic and wild. On Grandpa's farm, he became fast friends with a dog, a deer, a rabbit, and even a blue jay. His feathered and furry companions seemed to understand him just as perfectly as he did them. Their many carefree escapades included hunting woodchucks, visiting the barbershop, playing in the schoolyard, riding in the rumble seat of Grandpa's coupe, fishing in the creek, eating spaghetti lunches at the county fair, and much more. A memoir from the heart, this is the spirited tale of a young boy coming of age in a bygone era as he makes lasting memories and enduring friendships exploring field and forest with a bevy of animal buddies.