“I’m so thirsty,” Sappy, the little oak tree said out loud to himself. “And, I’m lonely. I’d sure like to talk to the squirrel who planted my acorn two Harvest Moons ago. The goofy, gray ball of chatter picked me up, cracked my shell in his sharp teeth, drooled on me, and then had the nerve to drop me into a shallow hole he dug out in the middle of nowhere. Then he flicked his tail as he bounded away! So here I am, no one my size to talk to cuz the rest of my fellow oak nuts are way over there.”
This opening paragraph sets the stage for the young reader to learn about what a tree needs to grow, the water cycle, friendship, learning and practicing patience and being a good listener. I have created tools to emphasize each theme, for a parent, an elementary classroom teacher, paraprofessional, or counselor, to reinforce with the child(ren). At this time, they will be in paper format. In the future, I hope to have a short video available, also.
Follow my page to stay tuned in to my blog for the publishing schedule, thoughts behind the illustrations, successes and roadblocks in learning to self-publish a book and other daily adventures in the life of DM Johnson, Author!
Meet Sappy, Dropsy, and the Crew 