Children’s Picture Books

Mother Nature Nursery Rhymes

Revised Edition
Written by Mindy Bingham, Penelope Colville Paine and Sandy Stryker
Illustrated by Itoko Maeno

Mother Nature Nursery Rhymes is a perfect way to start a life-long appreciation of nature in the hearts and minds of our children

New, updated, and traditional rhymes help parents and caregivers of very young children, share the wonder, and cultivate a love and appreciation of our planet, a task that cannot begin too early.The lyrical cadence of nursery rhymes proven to help develop language skills, also makes them fun and easy for children to repeat and remember.  Although children may not fully understand the rhymes while they are very young, the words will stick with them and, soon enough, the meaning will come through.  Lessons learned in the nursery are lessons learned for life.

Mother Nature Nursery Rhymes

Hardcover 8 x 10, 32 pages, fully illustrated, also includes environmental guidance and resources for parents and caregivers.

Flossie Flies Home

Written by Penelope Colville Paine
Illustrated by Carl Wenzel

Honeybee Flossie looks forward to growing up and becoming a worker bee, But she is tempted away from her tasks by a handsome dragonfly only to find herself a long way from home. With some help from her sisters Flossie focuses on what is important and learns to stand up for herself. Delightful illustrations reflect nature and the special roles bees have.

Honeybee Flossie looks forward to growing up and becoming a worker bee, But she is tempted away from her tasks by a handsome dragonfly only to find herself a long way from home. With some help from her sisters Flossie focuses on what is important and learns to stand up for herself. Delightful illustrations reflect nature and the special roles bees have.

Time For Horatio

Written by Penelope Colville Paine
Illustrated by Itoko Maeno

Horatio creates a vision of a kind and compassionate world.

In this charming myth, an abused kitten can’t understand why everyone is so mean to him… dogs chase him, wasps sting him, gulls squawk at him, and people tease him. Then Horatio is befriended by a gentle London lad who takes him to the Royal Observatory where he learns that the world runs on MEAN time. In an effort to establish KIND time, Horatio climbs to the very top of Big Ben. Itoko’s magnificent illustrations take you on an unforgettable tour of the Thames River and the inner working of Big Ben.

My Way Sally

Written by Penelope Colville Paine
Illustrated by Itoko Maeno

Learning to be a leader can change things for the better.

Sally, a fox hound puppy who befriends a fox kit, soon learns she is to chase her friend in the hunt. She also learns that, when you are a leader, everyone looks up to you… and you decide which way to go. In adventures that take her all the way to Windsor Castle, Sally works hard to command the respect of the pack, and leads them on a win-win chase even the fox enjoys.

Clarissa

Story Created by Penelope Colville Paine
Written by Carol Talley
Illustrated by Itoko Maeno

Clarissa teaches children to recognize their special worth.

Children are special in their own special ways. Clarissa is just a plain brown cow – to herself and almost everybody else on the Larsen Farm. This story of how she rescues a troop of prize animals and proves the worth of her own abilities is a blue-ribbon lesson for every youngster who learns it. Itoko Maeno’s award winning illustrations depict the lush Wisconsin dairy land, a magical county fair, and a child-enchanting cast of two and four-legged characters.

Papa Piccolo

Story Created by Penelope Colville Paine
Written by Carol Talley
Illustrated by Itoko Maeno

Papa Piccolo shares his strength and finds his tender heart.

Piccolo leads a free-spirited life of adventure and possibilities – until two homeless kittens decide to adopt him. As he enters into a new kind of adventure, children will delight in seeing how the kittens help Piccolo discover his own tender heart. Itoko’s captivating illustrations bring the story alive and capture romance and beauty of the canals, bridges, markets, and byways of Venice.

Molly’s Magic

Written by Penelope Colville Paine
Illustrated by Itoko Maeno

Molly’s creativity is as charming as the Emerald Isle.

In this charming story of farm life in western Ireland, the O’Malley family’s plan to supplement their meager farm income with a seaside tea garden, which seems destined to failure. Then, Molly’s example shows them that adversity can best be overcome with a little creative thinking. The extensive Discussion Guide makes sharing the book’s messages with children a delight as you explore Molly’s creative problem-solving strategy, discuss farm life and animals, and examine the customs and geography of Ireland.