Little Louise visits Dauphin Island

Little Louise Visits Dauphin Island came from a place that means a lot to me. A friend first introduced me to the island, and from that first trip, I was hooked. There’s just something about it. The quiet beaches, the pelicans, the sunsets. It all sticks with you.After taking a trip there with my granddaughter, I wanted to turn those moments into something for her. That’s really how this book started. Then it just felt right to share it so other families could enjoy it too.It’s meant to feel like a day on the island through a child’s eyes. Something fun to read before a trip, or something to hold onto after you get back.

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Penny the Mini Weenie Plays at the Park came from all the dogs that have been part of my life over the years. Every pup in the story is a little nod to dogs from family and friends, so it feels really personal to me.Penny is inspired by our newest little love, Penelope, a tiny black and cream dachshund with a big personality. And of course, there’s a little mouse friend in there too,

Penny the Mini Weenie Plays at the Park

Little Layla the Figure Skater

Little Layla came from wanting to create something special for my aunt’s great granddaughter, who loves ice skating. It just felt like the perfect story to bring to life for her.I wanted it to be something they could both hold onto. A simple, sweet story that feels personal and a little special, something they can look back on and enjoy together for years.

Just Mousey and the Full Moons came from something I’ve always loved. I’ve always been a moon girl, and somehow that stuck with my daughter and my granddaughter too. There’s just something about looking up at the night sky that feels a little special.I wanted to turn that into a book that introduces the different full moons throughout the year, but in a way that feels simple and a little magical. Something kids can enjoy and learn from without it feeling like learning.To me, people who love the moon just get it. If you have someone like that in your life, hold onto them.

Just Mousey and the Full Moons

Behind the Name

My husband and I eloped to Jasper, Arkansas, in December a few years ago. On our way home, we stopped at a small antique store called Pocky's Pickins in Blue Eye, Missouri.While looking around, I spotted a little mouse sitting all by himself on a shelf. Here we were in Blue Eye, two people with blue eyes of our own, and there sat a little mouse with bright blue eyes holding a tiny Christmas tree. I couldn't help but smile. It felt like he was waiting for us.Of course, the mouse came home with us and rode on the dashboard all the way back to our little home in northern Missouri.A few winters later, I found myself down a creative rabbit hole, designing coloring books for my granddaughter. One day, I looked up at that little blue-eyed mouse sitting on a shelf in my office and thought, "Just Mousey."It was fitting. My initials are J.M.

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