A brave little dragon. A forest in danger. A powerful story about
friendship, courage, and protecting the world we share.
Little Branko lives high above Dragonville in Zmajograd, a city of dragons
controlled by rules - the Dragons’ Code. Under this code, dragons cannot
put out fires and dragons cannot be friends with humans. But Branko has never
understood why. Unlike the other dragons, he does not want to start
fires—he wants to put them out.
When Branko questions the Dragons’ Code in school, he is told to
“learn” and not “think”. When he persists, he is
banished from his community. Determined to follow his heart, he travels to the
human town below and dreams of becoming a firefighter. But the humans are
afraid of him, too. Caught between two worlds that refuse to accept him,
Branko must decide whether to give up—or keep believing that kindness
can change everything.
When a dangerous wildfire threatens the forest shared by humans and dragons,
Branko finally gets his chance to prove that courage is not about following
old rules. It is about doing what is right.
Branko: Smokejumper Extraordinaire is a heartwarming children’s picture
book about friendship, bravery, community, environmental responsibility, and
the importance of questioning division. With themes of inclusion, cooperation,
wildfire awareness, and respect for firefighters, this inspiring story
encourages young readers to look beyond fear, challenge unfair rules, and
discover the extraordinary power of helping others.
Perfect for children who love stories about dragons, firefighters, friendship,
nature, and unlikely heroes, this meaningful book is ideal for family reading,
classrooms, libraries, and conversations about courage, compassion, and caring
for our planet.
Great for readers interested in:
• Dragon picture books
• Firefighter books for kids
•
Children’s books about friendship and acceptance
• Stories
about courage, kindness, and standing up for what is right
•
Environmental books for children
• Climate books for children
• Wildfire awareness and forest
protection
• Social-emotional learning and community-building
stories
A beautifully imaginative tale for young readers who believe even the smallest
voice can spark big change.
About the Author
Alexandra Arneri is an author, attorney, producer, and human rights
advocate whose stories explore courage, connection, and the power of
questioning the rules that keep people apart.
Born in Belgrade, raised in Belgrade and Sydney, and shaped by formative years
in New York City, Alexandra brings a global perspective to her work. Her
writing often features unlikely characters—from mushrooms and fax
machines to thunder, lightning, flowers, Beeps, Honks, and dragons—who
discover that difference does not have to mean division.
Her debut children’s book, Branko: Smokejumper Extraordinaire,
introduces young readers to a brave little dragon who challenges tradition,
reaches across fear, and helps unite humans and dragons in the face of an
unprecedented and fierce wildfire. Inspired by themes of friendship,
environmental responsibility, community, and courage, the story reflects
Alexandra’s belief in the importance of compassion, cooperation, and
protecting the world we share.
Beyond children’s literature, Alexandra’s creative work spans
genres and platforms, including Gravity FM, a deep dive podcast exploring
planetary health and human rights, the satirical Degenerate Carrot cartoons,
and impactful storytelling through Apocryphal Pictures. She is also a
practicing attorney at Cittone Demers & Arneri LLP, where she maintains a
robust human rights practice, and serves as President of the Global Witness
Foundation.
Alexandra lives in San Francisco with her family. When she is not writing,
practicing law, producing stories, or advocating for human rights, she enjoys
painting, yoga, and creating imaginative tales about the courage it takes to
reach across what divides us.
Peanut Butter & Donner: A Curious Chorus is a heartwarming rhyming
picture book about friendship, kindness, and learning to understand one
another. This updated second edition features refreshed illustrations, a
smoother read-aloud flow, and the same gentle heart readers loved in the
original release.
Peanut Butter is a shy rabbit who loves quiet spaces. Donner is a cheerful
parakeet who loves to sing. When these unlikely friends come together, they
learn that listening, adapting, and caring for one another can create true
harmony.
Inspired by real rescued pets, this beautifully illustrated story gently
explores emotional regulation, sensory sensitivity, empathy, confidence, and
trust in ways children can understand.
Perfect for ages 4–9, bedtime reading, classrooms, counselors,
therapists, and families who value kindness and connection.
If you're looking for a children’s book about friendship, feelings, and
compassion, Peanut Butter & Donner: A Curious Chorus will sing its way
into your heart.
About the Author
Erin Rosenblum is a licensed therapist and children’s book author
who creates heartfelt books that help young readers understand emotions, build
confidence, and form language for those big feelings we all feel. With more
than 15 years of experience in private practice, she brings therapeutic
insight, compassion, and emotional warmth to every story she writes. Her books
are especially valued by parents, teachers, caregivers, counselors, and
therapists seeking gentle resources that support social-emotional learning.
Her debut picture book, Peanut Butter & Donner: A Curious Chorus, is the
first title in the Peanut Butter & Donner series—a collection of
rhyming children’s books inspired by a real-life animal friendship and
the desire to give language to big feelings in little bodies. Through lyrical
rhyme and memorable animal characters, Erin’s stories help children
navigate emotions in developmentally appropriate ways.
Inspired by her own rescued rabbit and parakeet, A Curious Chorus tells the
story of an unlikely friendship between a shy bunny and a bold bird, showing
how kindness, patience, and understanding can bridge differences and build
lasting trust.
For this lovingly revised second edition, Erin thoughtfully refined the story
to create a smoother read-aloud flow while preserving the heart, warmth, and
emotional message readers loved in the original release. This updated edition
offers families, educators, and caregivers an even more engaging reading
experience, paired with refreshed illustrations and timeless themes of
connection, empathy, and compassion.
Across the Peanut Butter & Donner series, Erin explores topics such as
friendship, bravery, grief, envy, emotional resilience, anger, frustration,
and learning to feel safe, seen, and understood. Her stories are designed to
open conversations, encourage empathy, and help children recognize that all
feelings are good even when they feel too big and too hard to handle.
When she is not writing or working in her private practice, Erin enjoys
spending time with family and friends, surrounded by the beloved animals who
inspired her stories including the real Peanut Butter and Donner. She believes
in finding magic in everyday moments and hopes her books leave children with a
better understanding of the big feelings that are part of our everyday lives.
Tragedy struck Gabriel Fletcher at the age of eight. Losing his parents felt catastrophic enough, but to be sent to live with his aunt and uncle who didn’t want him? Life couldn’t get much worse.
Sho Tashiro only ever wanted a best friend—someone to share adventures and play video games with—and who wouldn’t make fun of his heritage or treat him like a sidekick.
Little did they know their meeting and years of friendship that followed might be more than fate. What if every world in every universe had a Gabriel and a Sho? And what would happen if Earth was invaded by a creature that threatened to annihilate everything they loved?
One trained in martial arts + one with self-proclaimed superior Asian genetics = a friendship and adventure that feels like they jumped right out of their favorite science fiction TV shows and movies they watched as children!
The fate of the world is in the hands of two fifteen-year-old boys. What could go wrong?
Excerpt
“So”—Mike interrupted what might quickly turn into an even more awkward conversation—“are you and Sho—”
“No.” Gabriel realized why someone might think he and Sho were together. They certainly bickered like an old married couple.
“By Hachiman, the Shinto god of war, no.” Sho folded his arms. “The clueless Caucasian child here should be so lucky.”
Gabriel rolled his eyes. “If that’s what you call lucky.” They’d kill each other. Absolutely kill each other.
They continued toward B House at a leisurely pace.
“I am his type, though,” Sho continued.
Mike peered at Gabriel. “You have a type?”
“Don’t even think about it, Sho.”
“Myself?” Of course Sho would find a way to inject a bit of himself into his explanation. “I prefer blondes because gentlemen prefer blondes... or at least that’s a movie title I heard someone from the drama club mention. I like blonde girls, if you need me to be more specific. I like a little yin with my yang, a little light with my striking, dashing, and sophisticated dark.” The explanation was getting a bit thick, even for Sho. “Gabe here likes ‘ese’.”
Mike arched an eyebrow. “‘ese’?”
“Stop.” Gabriel knew what was coming, and that it was payback for mentioning Sho’s attempt at handling a sword.
“Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese—”
Gabriel cringed. “This is how rumors get started.”
“—Taiwanese, Burmese—”
“Please use your internal voice,” Gabriel pleaded and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.
“Shall I mention the Japanese actor on Kamen Rider Den-O who started you on your way through that minefield in a boy’s life known as puberty?” Sho asked matter-of-factly.
“I’d rather you didn’t.”
“Or the Chinese assistant instructor in that class you take after school you don’t like anybody knowing about?”
“What about him?”
Sho grinned. “You said one look in his eyes and he restored your faith in an afterlife and the concept of reincarnation.”
Gabriel desperately tried to think of a reason that sounded remotely plausible. “He brought out the deeper thoughts in my life.”
“Then there was his Vietnamese friend—”
“Sho—”
“—who you said made you experience multiple sarcasms while trying to show off how amusing you think you are every time he spoke to you. I’d be remiss, of course, if I didn’t remind you about the Taiwanese exchange student we had last year.”
“Quit exaggerating!” Gabriel wiped his forehead again before sweat dripped into his eyes.
“Procter & Gamble actually sent you a personalized Christmas card for single-handedly keeping the demand for Puffs Super Soft Tissues alive during those months.”
“I hate you.” Gabriel’s face raged like an inferno. “Don’t let Sho talking about being a samurai fool you, Mike, or any of the other words that fly out of his mouth because he wasn’t born with a filter. Sho’s actually one of the most down-to-earth people I know, and the smartest. I have to struggle to get decent grades, and they come easy to him. Sho doesn’t brag about his grades, but he does frequently use his powers for evil, usually when he’s giving me a hard time, like now.”
Mike laughed. “So, Sho isn’t one of those Asian stereotypes who plays the violin or piano, or takes karate lessons?”
They reached the stairs and headed up.
“No. Not at all. He has a phenomenal talent for drawing, though. You should see all the scrapbooks he keeps his sketches and ideas in. They’re amazing!”
“And don’t let Gabe here fool you either.” Sho added his two cents. “I may tease him from now until eternity, but he’s the one who took piano lessons—”
“Free lessons from a community center, thank you.” Gabriel rolled his eyes. The lessons hadn’t been anything fancy or above his means. Someone somewhere at the community center knew he was an orphan, the secretary there had called him with the offer, and he’d decided to give it a try. It got him out of an empty house.
“—and while he may let the bullies pick on him, he’s actually got a second degree—”
“Sho!” Gabriel snapped.
About the Author
Kristoffer Gair grew up in Fraser, MI and is a graduate of Grand Valley State University. He currently lives in a suburb of Detroit.
Wonderful illustrations bring us back up to Grandpa's mountain farmhouse
for a Thanksgiving homecoming. Pip will soon have a Thanksgiving surprise,
but what exactly will it be? Will it have to do with the treats in the oven?
Pecan pie with oatmeal? Cornbread? Dutch apple pie? Mmmmm, they all smell so
good!
Will it have to do with a new park for all of the children to play in,
being built at a neighbor's farm? Wow! A brand new park where everyone, and
I mean everyone, is working very hard. Will it have to do with little Barney
who is the littlest goat ever and who is really working hard and chomp chomp
chomping away to make the park soft and free of brush?
Or finally, will it have to do with Pip's best friend ever, Maggie? Read
along, and let's find out together. We don't have that long. Thanksgiving is
coming very soon!
About the Author
Julia Russo spent many winters in the mountains along with her little dog,
Chloe, and her sweet husband, Kent. She continues to live in Atlanta but her
heart is really in those woods.
One of her favorite things ever was hearing her first graders read aloud.
She sometimes wrote for the government and companies, and later wrote
descriptions of homes. She even spent time as what is called a
roustabout!
After her debut book, Maggie the Cat Who Came Home for Christmas, released
in 2023, Julia is excited to continue the series. She visits her
mountainside cabin often. One of these days, she’s hoping to get a
little goat.
Available anywhere books are sold, as well as digital library services.
How I Went from Failed Writer to Drug Mule, and Back, Without Really Trying
Blurb
After a shocking event on Halloween night, Charlie Barnes is back in the news for all the wrong reasons. On the bright side, he meets handsome cop Luke. Luke of the blue eyes, perfect nose, beautiful butt cheeks, and, unbeknownst to Charlie, ulterior motives.
Even bad publicity can be good for book sales, according to Charlie's publisher, who promptly moves up the deadline for his next book. A book he hasn't started due to a crushing case of writer's block. Or perhaps he's just lazy, it’s hard to tell with Charlie.
He's got a month to write his next book, decide if Luke is for real, and figure out what to do about the suitcase full of drugs he abandoned at the airport. The pressure is on and the ride is about to get bumpy.
Excerpt
Lying on a beach, soaking in warm summer sun and cool ocean breezes. It’s heaven, until a wave rolls in and crashes on top of me. Next thing you know, I’m gasping for air and choking on my own bath water. Not dreaming anymore.
Or am I? Is Detective-Too-Good-To-Be-True in my kitchen? Did he draw this bath, light these candles, and leave me in peace long enough for me to drown in my tub? A gentle knock on the door. He must have heard me doing the breaststroke. Before I say come in, he comes in. Not dreaming, not this part.
“You doin’ okay in here?” He asks with such sweetness I feel guilty for thinking it’s too much. But it is. We’ll work on this later.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Seeing how much water I can get on the floor before the tub falls through it.”
“Might not sit well with the neighbor.”
“He’s a bitch. Always complaining about how loud I walk. Fuck him.”
I toss my hands in the air and give him my best ‘who gives damn’ face and end this part of the conversation with “If he wanted quiet, he should have bought the penthouse.”
“Since when is the fifth floor of anything the penthouse?”
Not sweet. This is better.
“If it’s on the top, it’s the penthouse. Prove me wrong.”
“I’d rather feed you.” He hands me a towel. He doesn’t leave. A dare.
I take the dare. I stand up, hang the towel over a hook, and grab my shower handle thing, what is it called? Shower handle, maybe? Whatever it is, I spray myself down, sending water everywhere. He gets wet and starts laughing. As God is my witness, his buttons will be pushed. He can’t take everything in stride.
When I step out of the tub the room spins. He grabs me by the shoulders and guides my butt onto the toilet, which, thankfully is closed and does not have a candle on it.
“Sit still,” he commands.
What? He takes the towel and starts drying me off. I know where this is going, at least for me. I have to stop this. I don’t want to stop this. But I have to. We can’t have sex, there’s lasagna to be eaten. Lasagna is better than sex. But if you’re going to have sex, having it before eating lasagna is better than after.
We are not having sex. Not tonight. And when we do, I won’t talk about and I certainly won’t write about it. I might mention it, I might even brag, but there won’t be any details. This is neither porn nor erotica. Some things have to be private.
“I can handle it from here.”
Disappointment flashes across his face. It didn’t last long, but it was there. Good. He puts a hand on my cheek. His hand is warm, and soft, and big. He kisses me on my damp forehead and says “Then hurry up, I’m hungry.”
Laughing hurts my ribs and makes me stop. Then he laughs at me, which makes me laugh again. It’s a hot mess of pain and happiness and arousal, and all sorts of other things running around inside my body and banging around my brain. Yes, yes, yes, a million times yes. This is the man for me.
“Get out before you kill me.”
He pulls the towel over my head and walks out, still laughing. Quick as I can, I get dry, get dressed, and meet him at the table. There’s a salad, the aforementioned lasagna, a bottle of wine, flowers, and candles. He must have gone shopping because none of this stuff came from my pantry. I’m not even sure I have a pantry. He pours the wine, lifts his glass, waits for me to lift mine and says, “Welcome home Charlie.”
I pull my glass back “You said that already. Come up with something new.”
“Geez, Charlie,” he pretends to be annoyed. He’s not annoyed. He’s challenged and he likes it.
“Here’s to not dying in a Dorothy costume in the parking lot of a seasonally gay nightclub.”
That’s more like it.
Free Use Image from Open Clipart Vectors
Ornery Owl's Rating:
Five out of Five Stars
This wonderfully irreverent story hits hard from the first line when the protagonist, Charlie Barnes, regains consciousness bruised and battered while dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Charlie pulls the reader along on his wild journey leading to the discovery of how and why he ended up in this state.
Charlie's tale is hilarious and outrageous, and Charlie is a self-serving, morally ambiguous protagonist. He doesn't mean any harm, he simply doesn't have a filter and he has a knack for finding trouble. He is by no means a model of appropriate, healthy, or admirable behavior, but the reader can't help but want to be part of Charlie's world.
While I normally knock a star off a story that engages in any kind of appearance shaming, there is an exception to every rule. Everyone is fair game for Charlie's razor wit, and he tends to judge character far more harshly than looks. While he does refer to drug dealer Harvey's muscle as Gerry the Pig Face, his dislike of Gerry stems from the goon's actions far more than his appearance. His thoughts about the full-figured Mizz Jamie are complimentary.
If you're looking for a serious story about the ill effects of illicit drugs on society, this isn't it. This story is wacky, wild, and crass. Although it doesn't contain any graphic descriptions of sex or drug use, this book is only appropriate for readers 18+ because sex, drugs, and copious amounts of profanity are present throughout. However, if you want to vicariously live out a few crazy days alongside a protagonist who lives life on his own terms and has a knack for getting into sticky situations, strap in and join Charlie on the craziest, funniest literary ride you'll find anywhere.
To sum things up, I loved it and hope to see more of Charlie's antics in the future.
About the Author
C.R. "Charlie" Barnes studied literature and journalism in college and went to work for a global news organization immediately after graduation. During his time there, the team won a pile of awards and Charlie was on his way to a low-paying, high-stress career in a business he didn’t love. He now spends his time writing fiction because the news was never good, and one thing Charlie likes is a good time. Or at least not a bad time.
Join Dara the Panda on an adventurous pirate quest where the true riches
are the bonds of friendship and fun!
Ahoy, little adventurers! Meet Dara, the imaginative panda who dreams of
being a pirate. Wearing her striped shirt, pink bow, and red skirt, Dara
sets sail with her friends—Mike the monkey, Tao the tiger, and Lulu
the colorful bird—on a thrilling treasure hunt. As they explore leafy
forests and rocky rivers, they encounter exciting surprises and new friends
along the way.
As Dara and her crew brave storms and meet a friendly pirate crew, they
discover that the real treasure isn’t gold or jewels but the joy of
friendship and the fun they share. With bravery and camaraderie, Dara and
her friends overcome the storm's fury and find that the greatest rewards
come from the friendships they build and the adventures they share.
Adventure awaits in every treasure hunt. Get your copy today and follow
Dara the Panda on an imaginative adventure as she sets sail on a pirate
quest in her latest tale!
About the Author
As a child with a vast imagination, Xiao spent countless hours creating new
worlds and playful adventures in her backyard. Now, she channels those
experiences and her creative spirit into writing engaging stories for young
children. With a happy smile and a pen dancing across the pages, Xiao brings
new characters to life, hoping to encourage children to use their own
imaginations and creativity while learning about friendship, determination,
and kindness.
When Xiao isn’t dreaming up new adventures for her characters, she
happily tends her flowers, learns to sew, or plays outside with her own
little bundles of joy. Join Xiao on many journeys through the wonder of
words and spark children’s imaginations everywhere!
