Marin is four and a half going on five. A shy little girl she overcomes her shyness and cannot wait to dance again next year. She is helped along with a reminder from her Mother "to at least try".

This book tells how, with one step at a time, Marin was able to overcome her shyness.

This book will help children realize that they can try and enjoy new experiences.

The circus has been an art form since early Roman times, and was the best and only local, traveling entertainment, before huge electronic technology advances of the twentieth century. The history of the circus from early times to present is important, fascinating, and disappearing. There is another piece of history, soon to disappear forever, and sometimes linked with circus life, the cultural ethnic group of peoples called Gypsys. The gypsy world is underdocumented and somehow linked to a lifestyle of traveling and entertaining people. What is a circus without animals or a gypsy camp without horses?

The main character of Adorina and the Elephant Choir is a gypsy girl, called Dori, who started life as an abandoned baby, and grew up to become the star of a circus. She became an animal trainer or one of those people who have an affinity with animals and a special way to communicate with them. Dori had no mother, in the beginning, but during her life in the circus is given, two special mothers. She is a twin and finds herself in danger, from her gypsy brother. She is by birth order, first born, and therefore Queen of the Gypsys. Dori also finds her selfworth and a boy to love.

The circus she lived in, is a place most kids would love to run away to. Adorina and the Elephant Choir tells the story of the circus and the people who live and breathe circus. Also, the book deals with human relationships, trials and tribulations, emotions, and resolution. The book is generally geared for children and young people, but adults will enjoy reading the book also.

Kimo was a boy of Hawaii and he was full of music. His mother liked music too, but not all the time! So she sent him off to make music for his Kupuna.
His grandfather showed him how the people of Old Hawaii made music with things from the sea...from the forest... from the river.

A Message from the Author

Back in 1965, when I was teaching reading to first-graders, I began writing books to help them become independent readers. These books used only a few words to tell enjoyable little stories. They gave the children practice in figuring out words on their own. I didn't realize that they would also become classics, beloved by children who cherished them, carried them around constantly, hugged them in bed, and re-read them until their families could recite them by heart and the books themselves collapsed in tatters.

These children have grown up and want to share their favorite little storybooks with their own children. The first to be republished was Ann Likes Red, brought out by Purple House Press in the Fall of 2001. Now the others are being reprinted, starting with Ballerina Bess, a simple story written with only 25 words and beloved by many little girls who learned to read with it. I hope you will like it, too.

The other titles in the series, to be reprinted later, are The Tent, The Rabbit, Big Beds and Little Beds, The Pond, Stop Pretending, Bill and the Fish, Brad and Neil, and my personal favorite, The Sandwich.

What child is not a musician after all?
This book celebrates how a child's love for music and
Playing a musical instrument can fill one with the light of day!