Blog Archives
Teaching Through Action
Babies on Board Part 2 follows an iguana, a parrot, a squirrel, and a mouse who band together to visit the beach in the middle of the night to help sea turtle hatchlings safely reach the ocean. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I moved to Florida in 2013, and I started to take notice of all the wonderful wildlife and sea creatures that live here in this amazing state. My first residence was right on the beach, and it just happened to be sea turtle nesting season, which occurs May through November ( also Hurricane season). I first noticed the poles with yellow tape all along the beach, and then I met actual volunteers who sit next to the nest at night and wait for the hatchlings to break free from their shells. This occurs exactly two months after the female turtle lays her eggs. The baby sea turtles must make the long trek from their nest to the water, where they will swim to freedom. Only half of the baby turtles survive because there are many predators on land ( crabs, snakes, birds) and sea (sharks, dolphins, barracuda, grouper) waiting to gobble them up. Also, the babies do get confused by the street lights, if there are any around. They instinctively crawl toward the moonlight, which is always over the ocean. This magnificent journey inspired me to educate children about these adorable little sea creatures who are the greatest of survivors.
How did the concept of teamwork among such different animal characters first develop?
The concept for my series started out with a friendship between Grumpy the Iguana and Green Parrot. Afterwards, neighbors in Flamingo Park were introduced into the storyline, like Mr. Squirrel and adopted friend, Little Mouse.
Do you have a personal favorite character to write scenes for?
I love all the characters because they each have their own individual personality. Grumpy is the brains. Green Parrot brings sensibility. Mr. Squirrel is a perfectionist, and Little Mouse is a kid who used to be scared but is now fearless.
How do you balance storytelling with factual environmental education?
I try not to preach, and by teaching through action, I think children will be more willing to absorb the message.
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Babies on board (part 2) continues the story. Grumpy and friends return to the beach, only this time it is in the middle of the night. They are there to make sure that all of the baby turtles make it safely to the sea where their father anxiously awaits their arrival. But as we all know, nothing ever goes smoothly when it comes to
Grumpy the Iguana, the Green Parrot, Mr. Squirrel and Little Mouse. Follow along and watch as our heroes fight against time and a street light to help the baby sea turtles find their dad..
Theatre History
Play! follows two cousins and their eccentric neighbor as their outing to see Peter Pan takes them on a time-traveling adventure through theatre history. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
As a young theatre professional, I worked often with Birmingham Children’s Theatre, and I spent a lot of time in audiences full of schoolchildren and the brave teachers trying to remind them, just before the curtain rose, that this was not quite the same thing as recess. I remember thinking how helpful it would be if there were a fun way for children to learn a little theatre etiquette before they ever set foot in the playhouse.
Later, while I was teaching theatre at Samford University, I wrote an early picture-book version of Play! and had an art professor colleague illustrate a few pages. We came tantalizingly close to publication, but the editor who was championing the project moved to another company that didn’t publish children’s books. Then life did what life often does: my artist friend and I both hit stretches of personal upheaval, and the manuscript sat quietly on a shelf for quite a while, trying to be patient.
A few years ago, a school librarian encouraged me to return to it, and I sent it to Sheila Booth-Alberstadt of SBA Books in Daphne, Alabama. She loved the idea, but wisely suggested that instead of a picture book for younger children, I turn it into a chapter book for middle graders. Once I made that shift, the story opened up in all sorts of exciting ways. I found a wonderful illustrator, Jarrett Rutland, and we worked on the book for about a year. After several rounds of editing and design, Play! is now heading out into the world, which is both thrilling and slightly surreal.
As for the setup itself, I wanted two children because I liked the idea of a boy and a girl responding differently to what they were seeing. And since I wanted them to travel through important eras in theatre history, they clearly needed an adult guide. At that point, an eccentric professor more or less materialized, tapped me on the shoulder, and informed me that he intended to be in the book. It is generally unwise to argue with someone named Dr. Dante Marlowe Browne, so I let him in.
Why did you choose Peter Pan as the event that launches the adventure?
I have always admired J. M. Barrie. Peter Pan is one of those rare children’s stories that is full of delight and theatrical fun, while also carrying something deeper and more wistful underneath. It turns childhood into myth, but it also tells the truth about it: that it is radiant, reckless, imaginative, and already shadowed by loss.
The story captures both a child’s fear of growing up and an adult’s longing for the vanished world of childhood. Peter represents freedom, adventure, and the intoxicating idea that no one can make you do arithmetic ever again. Wendy, on the other hand, brings story, tenderness, order, and the first stirrings of maturity into Neverland. I love that balance. Barrie gives us both the wild freedom of childhood and the ache of knowing it cannot last forever.
But Peter Pan also seemed the perfect launching point for Play! because it is such a glorious theatrical experience for children. Characters fly, a crocodile ticks, pirates swagger, fairies interfere, and the whole thing is drenched in stage magic. Nana is portrayed by an actor in a dog suit, and Mr. Darling and Captain Hook are traditionally played by the same actor, which is exactly the sort of glorious stage nonsense children ought to encounter early in life. It is a play that invites young audiences not only to watch, but to fall in love with the sheer imaginative mischief of theatre itself.
How did you balance historical accuracy with storytelling and humor?
Having worked in theatre for nearly sixty years, I know the history pretty deeply, so I wasn’t starting from scratch. I certainly wanted the historical material to be accurate, but I never wanted it to feel like children were being marched through a lecture with a few jokes scattered on top as a reward for proper behavior.
The good news is that theatre history is wonderfully cooperative in this respect, because it is already full of larger-than-life people, ridiculous mishaps, flamboyant personalities, and moments of sheer absurdity. In other words, it comes with its own humor built in. I didn’t have to manufacture too much of that. I simply had to let the children and the professor stumble into it.
So my goal was always to make the story feel alive first. I wanted young readers to have the sense that they had slipped backstage into the past and found it still bustling along, with everybody in costume and nobody entirely behaving.
What can young readers learn from live performance that they can’t learn elsewhere?
Live theatre is one of the richest gifts parents and teachers can give children. Reading is, of course, foundational and wondrous. It shapes language, imagination, attention, and a lifelong love of learning. But theatre offers something reading alone cannot: an immediate, communal, multi-sensory encounter with story.
In a theatre, children are not simply being told that a character is frightened, brave, selfish, lonely, or kind. They are watching those emotions and characteristics unfold in real time through voices, faces, bodies, music, silence, scenery, and the electric presence of living actors only a few feet away. They learn empathy because they can feel an entire audience leaning toward the same moment together. They learn attention because theatre asks them to listen, watch, and imagine all at once. And they learn that stories are not abstract things trapped in books; stories can breathe right in front of them.
Theatre also teaches children how to be an audience, which is no small thing. It teaches patience, curiosity, concentration, and respect for a shared experience. It says, in effect, “For the next little while, let us all agree to enter another world together.” In an age of constant distraction, that may be one of the most valuable lessons of all.
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“Barbara Sloan has written a charming book that will make kids and grown-ups alike fall in love with the history and the magic of live theatre. Through the magic of their friend Professor Browne, cousins Violet and Collins are transported across time and distance to experience what it was like to be everything from groundling at the Globe Theater, to a part of the Chorus in Ancient Greece— and why maybe it’s not a good idea to throw rotten apples at actors in any age!”
Roger Day is an award-winning children’s songwriter and performer known for his witty, literate lyrics and music that delights kids without talking down to them.
“Time travel through theatre history from Ancient Greece to a Medieval Village in York to Commedia dell’arte to Shakespeare himself at the Old Globe, and all the way to the contemporary Sizzlepop Theatre, Barbara Sloan has created a theatrical romp through the ages in PLAY. With such real characters in Collins and Violet, best friends and cousins, who journey with Uncle Marley in the world of storytelling and plays, this is a story of comedy, tragedy, theatre etiquette, and everything in between. The gorgeous illustrations of Jarrett Rutland and the beautiful language of Sloan masterfully raise the curtain to inspire, teach, and invite young readers to explore the world of theatre through characters, masks, lyres, costumes, and spectacular adventures.”
Kerry Madden-Lunsford is an acclaimed children’s and young adult author celebrated for her lyrical storytelling and deep compassion for young people finding their voices.
Counterintuitive Truths
So You Want To Be A Deep Sea Diver is an illustrated guide that shows young readers that deep-sea diving is both an adventure and a serious, disciplined career. What is the most rewarding aspect of writing guides for young readers?
Children are the most honest readers. Adults will keep going out of politeness, or because they paid for the book, or because someone gave it to them. Children won’t. If a page bores them, you’ve lost them, and no amount of well-meaning framing will win them back. That’s not a problem; it’s a gift. It forces a writer to be useful on every page, to trust the reader’s intelligence, to leave out the throat-clearing that fills so much adult nonfiction.
The most rewarding part, though, is knowing that somewhere a child is sitting cross-legged on a bedroom floor, holding one of these books, reading about a job they didn’t know existed three days ago — and a small door is opening inside them. Maybe it stays open. Maybe they grow up and become the deep-sea diver, the archaeologist, the dinosaur hunter. Maybe they don’t, and the book just plants the idea that the world contains more possibilities than any one childhood can hold. Either outcome is enough.
Were there scientific concepts that were especially difficult to translate for younger readers without oversimplifying them?
The hardest one was the physics of breathing at depth — the strange truth that the same air you breathe safely at the surface begins to behave like a drug if you go deep enough. Nitrogen narcosis is one of the most peculiar phenomena in human physiology, and I wanted children to understand that, not just nod past it.
The second hardest was explaining why technical divers at extreme depth breathe gas mixtures with only three percent oxygen — a mixture that would put a person to sleep at the surface. The metaphor I landed on was a lock and a key: the gas has to match the depth exactly. Pressure changes the lock, and the gas has to change with it.
What I’ve learned, again and again across this series, is that children handle counterintuitive truths better than most adults assume. They don’t need the science softened, but they need it told well (which can be a challenge).
Notably, my first draft of this book was much drier than what eventually went to press, because in my attempts to delve into the science, I let safety and risk take over the narrative. The protocols are real, and they matter — but a book that leads with caution buries the very thing that makes a child want to learn the caution in the first place. If the child does not feel the wonder first and understand the draw, the precautions are just rules, and rules without reasons are the fastest way to lose a young reader. So I started over. The redraft was about putting the beauty back where it belonged: at the front of the story, where it lives in real life.
Was there one behind-the-scenes role in deep-sea operations that surprised you most?
The standby diver. On any serious dive operation, there is one person who suits up in full gear at the start of the dive and stays that way the entire time — fins, tank, regulator, ready to enter the water inside seconds. They (generally) never get to make the dive. Their job, as I came to think of it, is to be a goalkeeper: alert, watching, prepared, and hoping with everything in them never to be called.
I love that role because it captures something children don’t always learn from the stories they’re told about heroism. The standby diver doesn’t get the photograph. They don’t get the discovery. They don’t even get wet on most days. And yet without them, the dive doesn’t happen, because no responsible team enters dangerous water without someone ready to come after them.
That is one of the best lessons the ocean teaches: being ready is its own job. Some of the most important people in any operation are the ones whose value is measured by what didn’t go wrong.
What do you hope this book teaches children about adventure — that it is not only excitement, but preparation, teamwork, and learning how to face the unknown?
Yes — and one thing more. I hope it teaches children that fear is not the enemy. Panic is.
That distinction is one of the oldest lessons in diving, and it’s one I most hoped kids would carry out of this book and into the rest of their lives. Fear keeps you sharp; it tells you something matters. Panic makes your body move before your brain can stop it. The difference between the two is learning and training — the willingness to spend years preparing for a moment that might last seconds. A diver who trusts their training can be afraid and still safe. A diver who doesn’t can be unafraid and in real trouble.
Adventure, in the deep-sea diver’s life, is not the opposite of preparation. Preparation is what makes the adventure possible. I’d love for every child reading this book to grow up understanding that — for diving, and for everything else.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon
So You Want To Be A Deep Sea Diver is an illustrated nonfiction guide for young readers ages 10 to 14 who want the true, complete answer to that question. It follows the path from a kid’s first fascination with the deep ocean all the way through open water certification, advanced dive training, saturation techniques, and the most extreme underwater operations on earth — welding, construction, salvage, scientific research, and marine exploration in conditions most people cannot imagine.
Inside, you will discover the real science of deep diving: how pressure works on the human body, why the wrong gas mixture at depth can be fatal, how decompression keeps divers alive, and what it means to live in a pressurized chamber for weeks while working hundreds of meters below the surface. These are not simplified facts stripped of their meaning. This is the actual physics and physiology, presented clearly and honestly for readers who deserve more than a surface-level overview.
You will also explore the world divers enter — a place of crushing cold, near-total darkness, and strange deep sea creatures and ocean animals that thrive where sunlight never reaches. You will learn about the teams of dive supervisors, saturation technicians, and support crews who make every descent possible, and the absolute calm that divers must bring to emergencies that can only be resolved in slow motion, because panic at depth costs lives.
This book does not talk down to kids. It brings them all the way in — into the training, the discipline, the wonder, and the weird and extraordinary reality of a career spent in the deepest places human beings can go. It is honest about the difficulty, specific about the science, and deeply respectful of the young reader who feels the pull toward something most people will never experience.
Most of the ocean remains unseen by human eyes. The divers who go deepest are going somewhere almost no one has ever been. Maybe one day, that diver will be you.
The Kindness And Love They Show
Dirt Dog Invites Prissy Poodle to the Prom is a sweet tale of a little dog who runs into one messy obstacle after another on his way to impress his Paw Party prom date. Where did the idea behind this story come from?
The idea originated with my husband and our silver Lab. One evening, they came home from hunting and tracked mud and dirt all over my freshly cleaned floors. Being a bit of a clean freak, I fussed about it—lightheartedly, of course. My husband laughed and said, “I guess we’re just Dirt Dog and the Nasty.”
We both laughed, and I immediately thought, There’s a story here. A few days later, I sat down to write Dirt Dog Invites Prissy Poodle to the Prom, and the story flowed faster than I could type.
What makes it even more interesting is that I had never planned to write children’s books. At the time, I was working on several other writing projects. Those have now been put on hold while I focus on the Dirt Dog and Friends series, along with activity books and audiobooks that will be available in Fall 2026.
What do you think children will identify with most in Dirt Dog’s experience?
I think many children will identify with the fear of rejection or being called names. At the same time, I hope they see the value of kindness, helping others, and persevering through challenges while always doing their best.
Most of all, I hope children come away understanding that their worth is not based on their appearance. Through the lesson included at the end of the book, I hope they learn that God sees their value through the kindness and love they show to others.
How do you approach incorporating faith into a children’s story in a way that feels natural and accessible?
I believe it’s important to let children first enjoy the story and connect with the characters. Afterward, parents, teachers, or caregivers can use the discussion questions and lessons to help reinforce the book’s themes. In some cases, questions can even be asked before reading to encourage children to think about their own experiences related to the story.
I never want my books to feel preachy or pushy. My goal is for Dirt Dog and Friends to help build godly character through stories that children can relate to. In books three and four, planned for 2027, I will again include Scripture and lessons that support themes such as welcoming others, teamwork, humility, and sharing.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
Tiny Tot Tiger Says Happy Birthday, America! is the second book in the Dirt Dog and Friends series and was released in June. In this book, I introduce young readers to the meaning of patriotism, the branches of the U.S. military, and the freedoms Americans enjoy. The story also reflects the belief that our freedoms are God-given and that America is “one nation under God.”
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Dirt Dog has finally worked up the courage to ask an important question. After getting cleaned up and ready, he sets out to invite Prissy Poodle to the Paw Party Prom.
But when the day does not go as planned, Dirt Dog faces one challenge after another. Instead of giving up, he keeps choosing kindness, courage, and care for others.
Through Dirt Dog’s story, children learn that confidence does not come from looking perfect. It grows when we do the right thing, even when things feel hard.
Perfect for ages 4-8, this heartwarming picture book is designed for read-alouds at home and in the classroom. Parents and educators will appreciate a story that encourages character, empathy, and confidence in a gentle, reassuring way.
Once I Was Little, Now I Am Big
Once I Was Little, Now I Am Big, Juliet C. Smedley, is a gentle picture book about a child looking back on the everyday things that used to feel enormous, and noticing how those same things have changed as she has grown. Back-door steps that once required help are now easy to climb. A bed that once felt endless now fits her stretched-out body. Her father no longer has to bend so far for a kiss, a snow dog-house becomes too small to crawl into, spinach is still complicated, and a beloved rocking chair and toy dinosaur no longer fit her quite the same way. The story keeps returning to one tender idea: growing up changes the size of the world, but it doesn’t erase who we were.
What I liked most about the writing is its simplicity. It has the fun, looping rhythm children respond to, but there’s something quietly wistful underneath it for the adult reading aloud. I found myself smiling at the tiny measurements of childhood: toes not reaching the middle of the bed, standing on tiptoe to kiss Daddy, a toy dinosaur once big enough to rest on. Those details feel honest because children really do understand growth through objects and rituals before they understand it as time passing. The spinach scene adds a welcome little spark of humor, too. I appreciated that the book doesn’t make growing up feel overly sentimental or perfectly tidy. Some things change, some things don’t, and that feels true.
The artwork is bright, clear, and very readable for young children. The pages use strong colors and familiar settings, like the bedroom, school cafeteria, snowy yard, and front steps, which help ground the bigger idea in scenes kids can recognize. I especially liked the contrast between the earlier and later images, where the same spaces feel different simply because the child’s body and confidence have changed. There’s a sweetness in the family moments, particularly the scenes with her parents and grandpa.
Once I Was Little, Now I Am Big is a reflective children’s book about growing, remembering, and making peace with the strange little losses that come with getting bigger. I’d recommend it for preschoolers and early elementary children who are starting to notice their own independence, and for parents who want a sweet, reassuring read-aloud that opens the door to talking about change.
Pages: 24 | ASIN : B07VVP6NZM
So You Want To Be An Animal Rescue Worker
So You Want To Be An Animal Rescue Worker is an informative, heartfelt, and surprisingly honest guide for young readers who love animals and may be curious about a future in rescue work. Written for middle-grade readers, especially ages ten and up, this book goes far beyond the simple idea that rescuing animals is just about cuddling puppies or helping cute wildlife. It gives children a realistic look at the patience, courage, knowledge, and emotional strength required to care for animals in need.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is how clearly it explains the real work behind animal rescue. Readers learn that rescuers must understand body language, move slowly around frightened animals, follow laws and safety rules, and sometimes make difficult decisions when resources are limited. The book doesn’t hide the heartbreaking parts of the job, such as compassion fatigue or the reality that not every animal can be saved. This honesty makes the book more powerful because it helps young readers understand that rescue work takes dedication as well as kindness.
The book is also filled with fascinating examples that bring the profession to life. Wildlife rehabilitators feed orphaned birds with puppets so they do not imprint on humans. Caregivers at Kenya’s Sheldrick Wildlife Trust sleep beside orphaned elephants. Search-and-rescue dog handlers even stage “practice finds” to keep their dogs encouraged during long searches. These details make the book exciting and memorable while showing that animal rescue involves science, problem-solving, teamwork, and deep compassion.
Another excellent feature is the inclusion of real-life heroes such as Jane Goodall, Betty White, Cleveland Amory, and Sterling “TrapKing” Davis. Their stories show children that helping animals can take many forms, from hands-on rescue to advocacy, education, fundraising, and public awareness. I especially appreciated how the book explains that helping animals often helps people too, such as when a rescued dog becomes a comforting companion for a child. This broader perspective gives the book emotional depth and helps readers see animal welfare as part of a larger community.
The illustrations are another highlight. They make the book visually engaging and help young readers connect with the material. The “Day in the Life” section is especially useful for older children because it shows what a rescue worker’s schedule might actually look like. The glossary is also a valuable addition, introducing real rescue terminology in a way that builds vocabulary and confidence.
So You Want To Be An Animal Rescue Worker is an excellent resource for children who love animals, classrooms studying careers, or families who want to encourage empathy and responsibility. It’s educational, accurate, engaging, and compassionate without being overly sentimental. This book shows that animal rescue is rewarding, but also demanding, and that even young people can begin making a difference. For any child who has ever seen a hurt animal and wanted to help, this book is a wonderful place to start.
Pages: 38 | ASIN : B0GZF47278
The Fruit of The Spirit
Pari the Panda Learns About Patience follows a young panda whose frightening escape from a trap teaches her some important lessons in patience. Where did the idea for this story come from?
I wanted to write a series of picture books for children based on The Fruit of The Spirit. I also wanted to use different animal characters that children would be interested in learning about. I already had a beta group of children and took suggestions from them as I developed each story in the series.
What drew you to using a panda as the character who learns this lesson?
I also found it fun to use an animal that began with the same letter as the fruit: P for Panda and Patience.
Why do you think patience can be such a difficult lesson for children to learn?
Many people, young and old, find themselves in a bind because of acting on impulse. Waiting for what we desire while trying to remain in good spirits is tough.
What do you hope readers remember most about Pari long after they finish the story?
I hope readers will contemplate their actions, recognizing the potential for negative repercussions from hasty choices. I also hope that kids will embrace the “safety first” mentality.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
to do everything.
One morning when Pari decides to swim right after breakfast and suffers
from a stomach cramp, she decides to lie down to rest on a grassy bank.
But little does she know that her simple choice has just led her into a scary
situation. Pari the Panda is about to learn a hard lesson about the importance
of patience in keeping herself safe.
In this cautionary story for children, a panda bear learns the hard way that
being patient in life will help her avoid potential dangers.
Deep Emotional Lessons
The Very Angry Toolbox follows a little boy who discovers a lonely toolbox in an industrial mart and learns about kindness and second chances when he sees past its gruff exterior. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Working in a store, repairing overhead intake/extract fans over a period of time, hearing people talking and saying unwelcoming things about earning money the wrong way, I came across a toolbox on a dusty shelf all alone. And just started talking to it like you do, and over a short while, I found a story in my head. That evening, I went home and wrote about my meeting in the store. Some years later, when I sold my business, I decided to write it into a story. Then I thought, maybe there are children out there who might like this story, and decided to self-publish the book.
The toolbox is one of the most memorable characters in the book. How did you create his personality?
The story came about due to the meeting in the store, and adding the tools was because the angry toolbox was not really nasty and wanted to help others.
What was the most fun part of bringing the tools to life as characters?
The most fun part about the tools was that they gave their own identity and purpose within the toolbox, allowing children to understand what each tool can do
If young readers remember only one thing from The Very Angry Toolbox, what would you most hope they take away about kindness, anger, and the power of giving someone a chance to become their best self?
What I would like for young readers to take from the book is its mix of rich narrative, deep emotional lessons, positive core values, and captivating visuals.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
The Very Angry Toolbox is a delightful story that is a must-have for all children’s bookshelves. This is the perfect book for discussing feelings and emotions and considering the impact that our feelings have on others.
