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Catherine Castle

~ Romance for the Ages

Catherine Castle

Tag Archives: Children’s Picture Book

Tasty Tuesdays–Caprese Salad from Tina Ruiz

12 Tuesday Oct 2021

Posted by Catherine Castle in Blog, books, Children's Fiction, cooking, food, Guest Authors, Recipes, Tasty Tuesdays

≈ Comments Off on Tasty Tuesdays–Caprese Salad from Tina Ruiz

Tags

Caprese Salad, Children's Picture Book, food blog, Halloween book, Italian recipe, pasta salad, recipe, Tasty Tuesdays, Tina Ruiz

from Tina Griffith

Before the last of your home grown tomatoes are frozen on the vine, pick a few and try this delicious salad from children’s book author Tina Ruiz. Check out her fanciful Halloween book listed below.

The Caprese Salad was born on the beautiful island of Capri, known as the Peral of the Gulf of Naples. This classic dish was created around 1920 when it first appeared on the menu of the Hotel Quisiana. The salad was part of futurist dinner organized by Filippo Tommaso Marinette, an Italian poet, editor, art theorist, and founder of the Futurist movement.

This delightful salad is one of the simplest and most appreciated dishes of the summer as it is always served chilled and is known as the Queen of Italian tables. And let’s not forget that the brilliant colors of red tomatoes, green basil, and white mozzarella are basically the Italian flag served on a plate.

How do you make this wonderful salad? My method is very easy. The amounts on each ingredient are your choice, but don’t stint on the tomatoes and cheese.

Tina’s Caprese Salad
Cooked curly pasta
Ripe cherry tomatoes
Fresh mozzarella cheese
Cucumber, peeled
Black olives, sliced
Fresh basil leaves, hand-ripped
Extra virgin olive oil or Italian dressing

Cook pasta until just al dente. Drain in a colander then rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Spread pasta on a towel to dry.

Dice tomatoes, cheese, and cucumber. Scoop into a large bowl. Stir in olives and basil. Mix well.

Carefully blend in pasta and just enough oil to moisten the mixture.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.

Since I have your attention, I’d like to share my latest Halloween children’s book – A Haunting Birthday Party available on Amazon. This is the second children’s book I’ve written with a Halloween theme. A Halloween Party was book one.

As I promised my grandchildren, and others who truly enjoyed the first Halloween Children’s Book, this one also contains silly character names. Example: Harry Pitts (harry arm pitts) is the narrator in this book, and the birthday party is for Peppa Roni and her twin brother, Reece A. Roni. It takes place at the Ray Zen (raisin) Restaurant, where people like Judge Mental and his wife, Judy, are enjoying a lovely meal. Kitti Letter (kitty litter) is the waitress for that side of the room, and her job is to give all the kids a spooktacular evening. Walter Melon (water melon) is the magician, Eve Ning (evening) is the cashier, Miss Turi (mystery) is another waitress, and Mr. I. Ball (eyeball) is the manager of the restaurant.

As you can see, this is a fun treat for young and old alike.

The story is about Peppa Roni and her twin brother, Reece A. Roni and Reece are having their 9th birthday party in the neighborhood restaurant.

The storyline is quite charming, and because you will try to figure out the double meaning of the fun names while you read, this is bound to become your child’s favorite book.

This delightful paperback book is another wonderful collaboration from writer Tina Nykulak Ruiz and illustrator Ishika Sharma. This creative duo knows how to put life and fun into children’s books to encourage young people to read. As with all of Tina’s children’s stories, there’s a moral at the end.

AMAZON BUY LINK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tina Ruiz was born in Germany, but her family moved to Canada when she was in grammar school. She began writing children’s stories when her own were little. Through the years Ruiz wrote twenty-seven books. Most of those stories went into readers for the Canada Board of Education. Two did not. Mayor Shadoe Markley is a story about a ten-year-old girl who becomes Mayor for a Day through a contest at school.

Little did Ruiz know that story would “change the world.” The book came out at early January 1988. By the end of that same month, everyone was calling the mayor’s office at City Hall, trying to get the forms to fill out so their children could participate in the contest. Thirty years later that same contest is still runs at full speed. And not only in Calgary, but all across Canada. The Mayor’s Youth Council is now in charge of the celebrated contest and invites Ruiz to attend and meet the lucky winner. It’s usually followed by a hand-written thank you card from the mayor himself. Recently Ruiz was invited to be part of the Grand Opening of Calgary’s New Library where the mayor shook her hand and introduced her to the attendees.

Tina has worked in television and radio as well as being a professional clown at the Children’s Hospital. She lives in Calgary with her husband who encourages her to write her passion be it high-quality children’s books or intriguing romance.

Stay connected with Tina Ruiz on her Facebook group Tina Speaks Out.

A Writer’s Garden—The Comeback Garden by Becky Van Vleet

19 Thursday Aug 2021

Posted by Catherine Castle in A Writer's Garden, Blog, books, Children's books, Children's Fiction, garden blog series, Guest Authors

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

A Writer's Garden, Becky Van Vleet, children's book, Children's Picture Book, Garden blog, garden pictures, Talitha the Traveling Skirt

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing. Today’s writer/gardener guest is Becky Van Vleet talking about the resilience of nature.

Welcome, Becky.

Every year I look forward to planting my vegetable garden, knowing full well that my husband and I will enjoy the fruits of my labor with fresh salads almost every evening for a period of time. I get so excited when I see my rhubarb wake up after sleeping all winter. I can almost taste the raspberries that will appear later in the summer when my bushes come alive again.

Come April, all my perennials around our whole house show their sleepy heads and inevitably burst forth with all kinds of promises of blooms in the month of May. The spring and summer months invite me to a bright and colorful foliage party every year, and I never miss it, always praising God for his artwork right in my yard.

But this year my yard party not only stalled, but nearly did not happen at all. I was devastated when on May 29 we had one of the worst hail storms I can remember. The afternoon the heavens broke open with hail about the size of golf balls gripped me in fear. For nearly an hour, the sound was deafening as hail pummeled our roof. I feared broken windows, not to mention destruction of all my beautiful plants that had already emerged from their winter slumber, showing great promise of what was to come. I watched this storm for a few minutes from my kitchen window. But I finally had to walk away; I couldn’t take the scene that fell before my eyes.

I

While I was thankful we had no broken windows and I believed our roof stayed intact, I went outside after the storm to assess the damage. I was heartbroken. My rhubarb was totally beaten to a pulp, my daisies and flocks and clematis in the front yard were flattened, my daylilies in my back yard as well as my cone flowers were no more. Even the heavy-duty branches of my mini rosebushes snapped. I couldn’t believe that within an hour, my beautiful yard turned from hope and beauty to ruin and ugliness.

What to do? Just accept it and look forward to next year.

But God didn’t leave me there. No, not at all. Slowly, ever so slowly, my flowers, bushes, and trees revived. I saw new promises of a beautiful yard, a comeback garden. I watched the progress each day while our sunshine and showers and rainbows gifted me.

Take a look at the “comeback” pictures to see the miracle God did with our yard! And isn’t that what God does with our lives? One day we are a mess and we feel hopeless, like there can be no comeback. But if we trust God and we’re patient, He will do mighty works to turn ruin and ugliness in our lives to new hope and beauty again.

About the Writer/Gardener:

A retired teacher/principal, Becky Van Vleet makes her home in Colorado Springs where she enjoys gardening, writing, oil painting, and hiking. But her favorite hobby is spending time with her family, especially reading books to her eight grandchildren.  When they come to play at her house, they love to check out her vegetable garden to see if there are any pickings.

Becky is an award-winning author of children’s picture books, inspired by true family stories. She is currently working on her first novel, a young adult book about her father’s adventures in WWII aboard the USS Denver.

A little skirt that has been traveling around in her family for more than 70 years, passing through three generations, inspired her to write her first children’s picture book, Talitha, the Traveling Skirt.

Social Media links: Website Facebook Goodreads

Talitha, the Traveling Skirt

By Beck Van Vleet

Meet Talitha, a little plaid skirt that likes to travel. Through the years, she visits many two-year-old girls in a special family who wear her to get their pictures taken. But Talitha encounters problems when she least expects them. Filled with colorful and detailed illustrations, young children will delight in this heartwarming story about a little skirt’s adventures.

Purchase link

This delightful book, geared for ages 3-8, may be purchased at Amazon. Be sure to let Becky know if you’d like the free coloring pictures her illustrator provided. She can send those your way!

Musings from a Writer’s Brain–inspiration from the “What-Ifs” and Other Questions By Jenny Fulton

19 Monday Apr 2021

Posted by Catherine Castle in books, Children's books, essay

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Children's Picture Book, Christian traditions, Death, Heaven, Jenny Fulton, Musings from a Writer's Brain, Native American traditions, Princess Lillian and Grandpa's Goodbye

One of my favorite activities in grade school was when the teacher had us take various parts of different animals and put them together to create a new animal. Although I wasn’t good at drawing, I loved the creativity and all the “what-ifs” of this project.

What if an elephant had wings?

What if it had fins instead of legs?

What would that look like?

How would that animal move?

This enjoyment of merging differences has carried over into my writing.

– The Bible tells us there is a spiritual world that is equally present with our physical world. What does that look like? What if we could see and hear those interaction?

– God gave us our imaginations for a reason. Throughout the Bible, he used imagery and story telling to communicate spiritual truths. What if that’s what our imaginations are for – to better help us understand and function in our reality. What does that look like?

– What does it look like for a child’s imaginary world to interact with her real world? How might it get her into trouble? Could this be a good thing as well?

– What kinds of differences can I pull together? What would that look like? Would these differences always and only create conflict, or could they work together to create a more cohesive Whole?

These are the kinds of questions that often drive the ideas for my writings. Maybe, if I can search out the answers in the safety of imaginary worlds, I can better process and understand them in my real one.

The first book I wrote, Invisible Battles: the Quest for Hope, was a young adult fantasy novel that I was hired to write as a ghost writer (of sorts – I still got my name on the title page). Much of the spiritual interactions between the angels, demons, and physical beings was largely driven by some of my questions.

  • What if we could see and hear angels and demons?
  • What would that look and sound like?
  • Would it be a good or bad thing?
  • Why can’t we see them?
  • How do those beings interact with our world?
  • How does God interact with our world?

As I wrote that book, my faith and understanding of God increased. Where once I was afraid of the spiritual world, I came to view it as just another part of life.

This understanding carried over to my children’s book, Princess Lillian and Grandpa’s Goodbye. In this book, an angel stays close to Lillian’s side, communicating God’s peace, comfort, and wisdom.

While the spiritual piece was already in place, other factors weren’t. These questions stemmed from a deeply personal experience.

In December 2020, my grandpa had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital.  My mom kept us updated. “He’s ready to go home,” she told us. A video she later sent us confirmed it.

I’ve never seen someone so patiently and eagerly awaiting his call into heaven. For his sake, I wanted him to go, even though the thought of it brought tears and pain to my heart. Shortly after watching the video, I sat down to process the bittersweet feelings of seeing someone I loved preparing to leave this world.

  • Could you feel both happy and sad at such an occasion?
  • How could I explain this to my young children?
  • Was there a way to describe the reality of death in a way that wasn’t bad and scary?
  • What would Heaven be like?
  • What would it be like to see Christ face-to-face?

With these questions in mind, I turned on my computer and wrote the story, looking at it through the eyes of curious, imaginative child.

As a teacher, and now as a parent, the endless questions kids ask occasionally drive me nuts, for there isn’t always an answer, at least not an easy one.

As a writer, these questions inspire me to create new stories for the purpose of seeking out possible answers. For, what if there are not-so-difficult explanations to the what-ifs and other questions?

Interested in seeing how Jenny handled the what-ifs in her children’s picture book? If so, check out Princess Lillian and Grandpa’s Goodbye available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Princess Lillian and Grandpa’s Goodbye

By Jenny  Fulton

Can two worlds exist at the same time?

Little Princess Lillian learns the spiritual world can interact with the physical. Imaginary is used to explain a reality, how heaven reaches down to earth as a young girl observes her grandpa awaiting his entrance into his eternal home.

How do you explain death and heaven to a child?

Led through a long hall in a hospital, Princess Lillian holds her mom’s hand.

An angel whispers comforting words.

In a deeply personal Native American Indian and Christian tradition, an intimate celebration of a loved one’s passing occurs as a family says good-bye to a man eager to meet his best friend, the King Above All Nations.

This book is a tool for child therapists, parents, or ministers to utilize for explaining what happens after a person dies.

About the Author:

Jenny Fulton is a wife, mother, children’s book author, YA fantasy author, blogger, and freelance writer with a B.S. in Bible, a B.S. in elementary education, and an endorsement in K-12 ESL. After graduating from Grace University in 2007, Jenny worked as a teacher in a variety of cultural and educational settings, both abroad and in the United States. She is a storyteller, a follower of Christ, and a seeker of truth.

An enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, Jenny grew up hearing stories from her dad about the supernatural workings on the Navajo Reservation. As a child, she collected angels and loved anything related to fairy tales.

Her days are now mostly spent raising her three young daughters (homeschooling two of them) and writing as much as time and opportunity allows.

Connect with Jenny on her social media sites: Website:  Facebook:  Twitter:   Instagram

Thursday Christmas Reads–Blitzen Learns How To Fly by Tina Nykulak Ruiz

10 Thursday Dec 2020

Posted by Catherine Castle in Children's books, Children's Fiction, Christmas Reads, food, Recipes

≈ Comments Off on Thursday Christmas Reads–Blitzen Learns How To Fly by Tina Nykulak Ruiz

Tags

Blitzen Learns How to Fly, Children's Fiction, Children's Picture Book, pizza recipe, Thursday Christmas Reads, Tina Ruiz

from Tina Ruiz

Guest author Tina Ruiz has a quick dinner and a children’s Christmas story to share this holiday season.

Thanks, Catherine.

Nothing goes to waste in my kitchen. If I have leftover Italian or French bread it becomes the base for a dinner. And what a dinner it is – easy – quick – delicious. Can’t beat that if you’re on a busy schedule or tight budget.

Pizza Bread
½ loaf Italian or French bread
1½ cups spaghetti sauce, possibly more
½ lb. Genoa salami or pepperoni, sliced thin
3 – 4 slices fresh tomatoes
1½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Split the bread in half lengthwise. Smear spaghetti sauce on the white part of the bread. Lay meat slices on top. Scatter on mozzarella and then Parmesan.

Place the bread on a cookie sheet then pop them into the oven until the cheese melts, and VIOLA, dinner is ready!

A nice treat after the pizza bread is a dish of vanilla ice cream topped with your favorite ice cream topping. It is sooooo good and really hits the spot.

Here’s a brief intro to my children’s Christmas book your little ones will enjoy.

Blitzen was born at the North Pole, but he is unable to fly. Because of that, he is taunted and called names by the other reindeers. Rudy saw what was happening, and he decided to teach Blitzen how to gain some confidence. And with a little magic powder from Santa, Blitzen is not only able to fly, but he becomes part of Santa’s famous team.

Amazon Buy Links
E-Book – Paperback

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tina Ruiz was born in Germany, but her family moved to Canada when she was in grammar school. She began writing children’s stories when her own were little. Through the years Ruiz wrote twenty-seven books. Most of those stories went into readers for the Canada Board of Education. Two did not. Mayor Shadoe Markley is a story about a ten-year-old girl who becomes Mayor for a Day through a contest at school.

Little did Ruiz know that story would “change the world.” The book came out at early January 1988. By the end of that same month, everyone was calling the mayor’s office at City Hall, trying to get the forms to fill out so their children could participate in the contest. Thirty years later that same contest is still runs at full speed. And not only in Calgary, but all across Canada. The Mayor’s Youth Council is now in charge of the celebrated contest and invites Ruiz to attend and meet the lucky winner. It’s usually followed by a hand-written thank you card from the mayor himself. Recently Ruiz was invited to be part of the Grand Opening of Calgary’s New Library where the mayor shook her hand and introduced her to the attendees.

Tina has worked in television and radio as well as being a professional clown at the Children’s Hospital. She lives in Calgary with her husband who encourages her to write her passion be it high-quality children’s books or intriguing romance.

Stay connected with Tina Ruiz on her Facebook group Tina Speaks Out.

Wednesday Writers–A Haunting Birthday Party by Tina Nykulak Ruiz

26 Wednesday Aug 2020

Posted by Catherine Castle in books, Children's Fiction, Guest Authors, Wednesday Writers

≈ Comments Off on Wednesday Writers–A Haunting Birthday Party by Tina Nykulak Ruiz

Tags

A Haunting Birthday Party, Children's Fiction, Children's Picture Book, Halloween book, Tina Nykulak Ruiz, Wednesday Writers

Today’s Wednesday Writer guest is Tina Ruiz who is celebrating the release of her 30th children’s book! Welcome, Tina.

Thanks, Catherine.

The story is about Peppa Roni and her twin brother, Reece A. Roni, who are having their 9th birthday party in the neighborhood restaurant. What makes this story different from any other children’s book, are the names I’ve given to the characters. Example: Tess Ding, Chris P. Bacon, Mr. Noah Lott, Harry Pitts, Miss Turi, and so on. I don’t want to give them all away, since figuring them out will provide lots of fun for you and your child as you read  them.

A Haunting Birthday Party is another picture book collaboration from myself and illustrator Ishika Sharma. We love to put life and fun into children’s books to encourage young people to read. As with all of my children’s stories, there’s a moral at the end. I hope this Halloween-themed paperback book will become your child’s favorite read.

AMAZON BUY LINK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tina Ruiz was born in Germany, but her family moved to Canada when she was in grammar school. She began writing children’s stories when her own were little. Through the years Ruiz wrote twenty-seven books. Most of those stories went into readers for the Canada Board of Education. Two did not. Mayor Shadoe Markley is a story about a ten-year-old girl who becomes Mayor for a Day through a contest at school.

Little did Ruiz know that story would “change the world.” The book came out at early January 1988. By the end of that same month, everyone was calling the mayor’s office at City Hall, trying to get the forms to fill out so their children could participate in the contest. Thirty years later that same contest is still runs at full speed. And not only in Calgary, but all across Canada. The Mayor’s Youth Council is now in charge of the celebrated contest and invites Ruiz to attend and meet the lucky winner. It’s usually followed by a hand-written thank you card from the mayor himself. Recently Ruiz was invited to be part of the Grand Opening of Calgary’s New Library where the mayor shook her hand and introduced her to the attendees.

Tina has worked in television and radio as well as being a professional clown at the Children’s Hospital. She lives in Calgary with her husband who encourages her to write her passion be it high-quality children’s books or intriguing romance.

Stay connected with Tina Ruiz on her Facebook group Tina Speaks Out.

A Writer’s Garden–Making Garden Memories by Becky Van Vleet

09 Thursday Jul 2020

Posted by Catherine Castle in A Writer's Garden, garden blog series

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

A Writer's Garden, Becky Van Vleet, Children's Picture Book, garden memories, Talitha the Traveling Skirt

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing.

Today’s writer/gardener guest is Becky Van Vleet, a gardner who loves to create memories. Welcome, Becky!

 

There are so many aspects to my gardening that I love. The sweet fragrance of my flowers. The amazing fact that my perennials know when it’s time to pop their heads up each year. Working my hands in the rich dirt in my vegetable garden and sometimes feeling a worm. Harvesting my herbs and veggies every summer for my family to enjoy. In fact, I would have to say that working in my flower and vegetable gardens is very therapeutic for me. I reap the pleasures and joys of gardening as I also deal with destructive hail and drought. (Note hail covering!)

Every spring I look forward to setting out my hummingbird feeder in anticipation of the hummers who will put on a sweet show for my husband and I to enjoy.

 

A few years ago, I started painting rocks with my grandchildren’s names to display in my front yard. My little Grands get excited when they come to visit and walk right past this visual of their special garden markers. When I’m tending to this section of my flower beds, I think about the stone markers in the Old Testament we read about in Joshua 4:5-7, and then I pray for my grandchildren.

 

 

 

In addition to my love of gardening, I especially enjoy creating and preserving family memories for the next generations. I have endearing memories of picking green beans in my grandmother’s garden in southern Indiana back in the 1960s. After we had a couple of sacksful, we would sit on her back porch and break the beans in preparation for cooking. We would converse about all kinds of things as we snapped away. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my grandmother was imparting life lessons to me—love your family, work hard, read your Bible, honor God, don’t cheat, be kind, and much more. We had no background music. We simply had the tranquility of the farm house, fresh air, and birds singing. Sweet memories!

So now this grandma likes to have my own grandchildren break green beans with me every summer as we snap and talk. I hope I am preserving my own memory and creating a new one for them!

 

 

 

About the Writer/Gardener

Becky Van Vleet is a retired teacher and principal. She and her husband make their home in Colorado Springs where Becky enjoys oil painting, hiking and biking, as well as gardening. Becky’s children’s picture book, Talitha, the Traveling Skirt, was inspired by a true family story to preserve a treasured family memory. Her first book has already won two awards and her second children’s book, also inspired by a true family story, is due to be released the end of the summer. Becky enjoys writing projects to preserve family memories.

Connect with Becky on her social media sites  Website:  Facebook: Instagram

 

Talitha, the Traveling Skirt

by Becky Van Vleet

Meet Talitha, a little plaid skirt that likes to travel. Through the years, she visits many two-year-old girls in a special family who wear her to get their pictures taken. But Talitha encounters problems when she least expects them. Filled with colorful and detailed illustrations, young children will delight in this heartwarming story about a little skirt’s adventures.

Want to read more about the traveling skirt or purchase it for the little girls in your family? You can find Talitha’s story at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WEdnesday Writers–Talitha, the Traveling Skirt by Becky Van Vleet

22 Wednesday Jan 2020

Posted by Catherine Castle in Children's Fiction, Wednesday Writers

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Becky Van Vleet, Children's photographs, Children's Picture Book, family traditions, memories and traditins, picture tradtions, Talitha the Traveling Skirt, Wednesday Writers

Welcome to Wednesday Writers! Today’s guest blogger is Becky Van Vleet. Becky will be talking about her Children’s Picture book, Talitha, the Traveling Skirt, and where the inspiration for this traveling skirt story came from.

When I read this blog, I immediately thought of the traveling pants story that was so popular a few years back. I loved that story. Now Becky has a version for children. Ingenious!

Welcome, Becky!

 

Who could guess that Talitha is anything more than an ordinary skirt? Well, I could! You see, I have watched the history of this little skirt unfold in my lifetime for three generations. A little red plaid skirt began to traveling within my family in 1948 and has continued to travel across the country for more than 70 years. I was inspired to write this children’s story to preserve my family history.

A hand-sewn skirt was given to my mother, Alberta, by her childhood friend, Omadeen, for my older sister’s second birthday. My mother took her first daughter to a professional studio to have her picture taken in the little skirt, honoring her friend. Alberta saved the skirt and a tradition was started when three more daughters were born.

Alberta and Omadeen, friends as teenagers in Southern Indiana, 1940 public domain

I was the third daughter to wear the little skirt from the first generation.

Becky wearing Talitha skirt in 1955 (personal collection, not in public domain)

Over time, the four daughters began to pass the little skirt around to one another when we had daughters of our own, the second generation. The tradition of the little girls in our family getting a professional picture wearing the skirt at age two held fast and continued on into the third generation, Alberta’s great-granddaughters. As our family scattered around, the little skirt began to fly on airplanes to reach all of the little two-year-old girls in the third generation in various locations throughout the United States!

Omadeen, still living, receives Becky’s book in September, 2019 public domain

My sisters and I took great care of the little skirt, hoping not to have to wash it as the skirt aged.  One may wonder if any little boys were born into our family.  And yes, of course!  But it was the daughters that kept the little skirt traveling around when they were added to our family tree.

The first-generation daughters have encouraged the safekeeping of the little skirt and we pay attention to the skirt’s traveling itinerary.  Amazingly, the pleats are still intact and the fabric is still a vibrant red plaid.

When I set out to write a fun tale about this traveling skirt, I decided the skirt would be personified as the main character and I wanted to come up with a meaningful name for her. Talitha’s name means “little girl” from Mark, chapter four, in the New Testament. My children’s picture book is geared for ages 3-8 and includes themes of family life, overcoming challenges, and family traditions with added discussion questions.

Talithia the Traveling Skirt

by Becky Van Vleet

Meet Talitha, a little plaid skirt that likes to travel. Through the years, she visits many two-year-old girls in a special family who wear her to get their pictures taken. But Talitha encounters problems when she least expects them. Filled with colorful and detailed illustrations, young children will delight in this heartwarming story about a little skirt’s adventures.

Want to read more about the traveling skirt or purchase it for the little girls in your family? You can find Talitha’s story at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

 

About the Author:

Becky Van Vleet is a retired teacher and principal. She and her husband make their home in Colorado Springs, where Becky enjoys gardening and hiking and biking in the great outdoors. Becky is one of the original girls who wore Talitha and is the mother of four adult daughters, each of whom also wore Talitha. To date, five of Becky’s granddaughters have also worn the little skirt. Becky relishes spending time with her family and especially reading books to her grandchildren.

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