My Stories

To peruse my stories and picture book, Reading Beauty, please just scroll away!

I was so happy to see “Rahim’s Pangolin” in the February issue of Cricket Magazine.

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Illustrator Lucia Sforza did a lovely job of depicting Bangladesh’s beautiful Lawachara National Park (located close to where I was lucky enough to spend my early years). Thanks to Lonnie Plecha, Cricket’s wonderful editor, for fine-tuning this story that highlights the exquisite pangolin, one of the most illegally trafficked animals in the world.

Access the excellent teacher’s guide to the story HERE.

Reading Beauty was released in February 2018 from Pelican Press.

I write stories for award-winning children’s magazines Cricket, Spider, Ladybug, and Babybug. One of my favorite parts about that work is meeting amazing illustrators like Donald Wu, who really brought Holly Hedgehog to life in “Holly Wakes Early” (Ladybug, January 2018):

Is there anything cuter than a hedgehog and a mouse in the snow?

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I loved sharing two of my favorite places in the world–Kenya and the Pacific Northwest–with Cricket readers. “Asha, Bird of Hope,” the story of a friendship between a lonely boy and an African Grey parrot, appeared in two parts over two months (June & July 2017), accompanied by beautiful artwork by Italian illustrator Marta Antelo.I loved creating this fun rhyming story for Babybug (April 2017), accompanied by bright and funny illustrations by Steve Brown. Here’s our dog, Charley, reading about his adorable doppelgänger:

I love Babybug’s thick sturdy pages (think ‘board book’), for its simple text and engaging illustrations–perfect for babies and toddlers!

Mr. Mosop’s Kukus appeared in Spider’s September 2016 edition; Mikela Prevost depicted this beautiful part of Kenya so well!

A Day at Liberty Bay, published in Ladybug’s May/June 2016 edition, and illustrated by Isabel Roxas, celebrates crabs, mud fights, boats, and friendship.

Apple Day1 — “Apple Day,” set in the apple orchards of Montana, illustrated by Melanie Grandgirard, and published in Spider Magazine, tells the story of Molly and her mischievous younger cousin.

daddysgrdn1 — “Daddy’s Garden,” published in Ladybug Magazine in May/June 2012, and illustrated by Elizabeth Wallin, tells a gentle story of two girls, their dad, and a snake named Sammy.

GoldenCCrane1 copy — “Golden Crested Crane,” published in Spider Magazine, Jan. 2014, with illustrations by Ziyue Chen, tells the story of Muthoni, who finds out what true grace is all about.

Upcoming stories include: A Day at Liberty Bay (set in my current hometown, Poulsbo!); Mr. Mosop’s Chickens (set in Kenya, where I spent my teenage years); Salaam, Rain (set in Bangladesh, my birth country); and Come on, Charley! (celebrating our silly dog).

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