Here are my latest books and concepts in
varying stages presentation.
Manuscpripts and thumbnaill pdfs
are available for download.
-sf
It's the story of Emma who invents characters from the sounds she hears.
Like voices in the ceiling . . .
​
Night Sounds
is a captivating journey
into the vivid imagination of a
little girl who dreads
bedtime in her creaky
old house.
. . . and noises from the floor.
To calm her fears she imagines that the scary noises are just characters who become her friends.
All of these sounds and wonderful characters
become exhausting and Emma slowly tires.
. . . finally she goes to sleep as her
new friends leave.
​
With an inventive and almost endless cast ,
Night Sounds is a delightful story that shows with enough creativity a little girl can navigate the treacherous and seemingly scary night to feel safe and get a little peace in a calm and restful world.
Who Stole My Rake is a whimsical tale of a Zen Garden Bear who,
despite his Master title, is not quite as serene as one might expect.
Proud of his perfect Zen garden and his secret magical rake,
BEAR is shaken when the rake goes missing.
His spiritual calm is quickly replaced by ego-driven terror, fueled by the Nasty Spider’s whispers that someone must have stolen his Rake.
And so the Bear rides his pity pot. For days.
​
And by night he angrily
searches for his precious Rake
and for the culprits who stole it.
Through humor and a touch of irony, this delightful story shows that even a Zen Master can lose his cool, reminding us that in the end, we’re all just like everyone else, striving for a little peace in a beautiful but imperfect world.
The House and the Tree is a poignant tale that explores a family’s life through the intimate, timeless conversation between two silent witnesses: the house that sheltered them and the tree that grew alongside them. This unique perspective adds a deeply emotional layer to the story, offering readers a reflective and touching point of view.
The story revolves around Baby Jack, a key member of the family whose potential is tragically altered by the ravages of war. Jack is born just as his parents settle into their new home, with the tree as a mere sapling—a perfect match for the toddler who would one day grow into a vibrant young man. The house and the tree become the backdrop for Jack’s idyllic childhood, a place where he is both protected and free to explore, embodying the innocence and adventurous spirit of youth.
​​
As Jack matures, the narrative shifts into how an adventurous young boy can be swept up in the dangers of the world, leading to a tragic yet all-too-common outcome. The narrative concludes with a reflection on how such events can happen to the best of people, offering a deeply human resolution that resonates with the older youth audience.
​
​This idea is crafted for an older youth market and has the potential to evolve into a novel or a longer picture book. It’s an opportunity to expand the boundaries of picture books, showing the powerful range of emotions and themes they can convey. I envision this story being illustrated in a unique and looser emotive style, enhancing its impact.
This idea is presented
as a parallex animation.
( Click on the Title to see. )
Story treatment included.
