Books
Although I do other types of writing, my primary focus is children’s picture books. My books are available online (including Amazon), at select bookstores (please support your local independent bookseller!), and from the publisher.
Cowboy Car
Publisher: Two Lions
ISBN-10: 1503950972; ISBN-13: 978-1503950979
Pre-K-Grade 2 — Ever since Little Car was knee-high to his daddy’s hubcaps, he’s wanted to be a cowboy. Cowboys get to drive the range, wear big hats, and sleep under the stars. Everyone tells Little Car that cars can’t be cowboys, but he can’t stop dreaming of rounding up lil’ dogies by day and talking around the campfire at night. So Little Car packs his trunk and heads Out West. Vroom! Can he prove he has what it takes to be a true cowboy? Join Little Car as he zooms into the hearts of kids everywhere.
There’s a Cat in Our Class!: A Tale About Getting Along
Publisher: Magination Press
ISBN-10: 1433822628; ISBN-13: 978-1433822629
Kindergarten-Grade 3 —When Miss Biscuit tells her students they’re getting a new classmate, they automatically assume that the student is just like them…a DOG. Samantha, however, is NOT a dog, which leads to a few anxious moments and plenty of questions. But in little time, all the tails in Miss Biscuit’s classroom start wagging, and Samantha is celebrated for the CAT she is, just in time for another new student!
There’s a Cat in Our Class! is a kid-friendly exploration of diversity, teaching kids the value of not only accepting but embracing the differences of those around us. Includes a Note to Readers written by Gayle E. Pitman, PhD, that discusses how parents, teachers, and other adults can talk with children about diversity in a way that’s meaningful and effective.
Big Red and the Little Bitty Wolf: A Story About Bullying
Publisher: Magination Press
ISBN-10: 143382048X; ISBN-13: 978-1433820489
Pre-K-Grade 3 — In this modern twist on the classic fairy tale, the Little Bitty Wolf solves his bullying problem with a little help and a great big smile!
The Crown Affair
Publisher: Charlesbridge
ISBN-10: 158089552; ISBN-13: 978-1580895521
(Sequel to What Really Happened to Humpty?)
Grades 1-4 — “When Jack and Jill fell down the hill, did Jack really lose his crown, or did someone make off with it? Detective Joe Dumpty, previously seen in 2009’s What REALLY Happened to Humpty?, is on the case in this witty companion book. Tipped off that a certain other nursery-rhyme Jack might be responsible for the crown’s disappearance, Joe sets out to interrogate suspects, and his noir-flavored narration is just as much fun this time around.” — Publishers Weekly “Starred Review
What Really Happened to Humpty?
Publisher: Charlesbridge
ISBN-10: 1580893910; ISBN-13: 978-1580893
Winner of the 2011 “Children’s Choice” Award for the state of New Mexico
Grades 1-4 — “Hard-boiled detective Joe Dumpty’s ovoid body is encased in a ’40s-era belted brown trench coat topped with a fedora, and his clipped statements will remind older readers of TV’s Joe Friday. Here, cleft-chinned Joe recounts how he cracked one of the toughest mysteries in Mother Gooseland: the assault with intent to spill the yolky interior of his older brother, Humpty..This enchanting send-up of old-time detective stories will have older readers in stitches, while younger readers will get caught up in the clever recombination of fairy-tale characters. The illustrations, done in watercolor and pen and ink, are as filled with puns and crowded with humorous detail as the story…This CSI: Mother Goose is a winner.” — Booklist “Starred Review”
What Do Parents Do? (When You’re Not Home)
Publisher: Magination Press
ISBN-10: 1561454095; ISBN-13: 978-1561454099
Kindergarten-Grade 2 — “In this rollicking flight of fancy, a boy and his sister are spending the night at their grandparent’s house…All this is pictured, large as life, over two-thirds of the page, the parents as jubilant as the brightly hued, busy scenes…Giggles abound as this cheerful tale of imagined role-reversal plucks at the seams of conventionality and lets out a little stuffing.” — Kirkus Reviews
Don’t Squeal Unless It’s a Big Deal:
A Tale of Tattletales
Publisher: Peachtree
ISBN-10: 1591472407; ISBN-13: 9781591472407
iParenting Media Award Winner
Kindergarten-Grade 2 — “The piggies in Mrs. McNeal’s class learn the difference between tattling and informing an adult in an emergency. After enduring a morning of students “squealing” on one another, the teacher explains that kids should try to work out their kid-sized problems themselves, but they should seek help when a more serious situation arises. When Mrs. M. falls down, the children take the appropriate action and call for help…A concluding note discusses common reasons why children tattle as well as ways to turn these episodes into teachable moments by using problem-solving skills.” — School Library Journal
Grandma U
Publisher: Peachtree
ISBN-10: 1561452149; ISBN-13: 978-1561452149
“Best Read-Aloud Book for Adults,” Storytelling World
Kindergarten-Grade 2 — “This inventive tale follows the education of Molly McCool, a hip, fit, convertible-driving grandma-to-be who worries that she doesn’t know how to be a grandma. She’s forgotten her nursery rhymes, and can’t bake an edible cookie to save her life. But, under the tutelage of wise Mrs. Applebee, Molly learns the important basics. The author’s amusing concept translates well to the page, allowing for a wide range of comic situations… Ransom’s writing is lively, witty, and well paced. Molly’s worry that she won’t measure up builds to an effective and satisfying conclusion.” — School Library Journal
I Don’t Want to Talk About It:
A story about divorce for young children
Publisher: Magination Press
ISBN-10: 1557987033; ISBN-13: 978-1557987037
“Best Children’s Resource” award, Today’s Librarian
Kindergarten-Grade 3 — “A competent piece of bibliotherapy aimed at helping children of divorce deal with their new, difficult, and conflicting emotions. Told by a young girl whose parents have just told her they are getting a divorce, the narrative then goes through the range of the child’s possible emotions, as the adults suggest how she might be feeling. She, in turn, imagines herself to be an animal that would adequately express her emotions. When her father tells her that it’s OK to be scared, her response is, ‘I wanted to be a lion with a roar so loud that everyone would think I was very brave.’ Assurances of her parents’ continued love and that certain family rituals will remain the same make her feel better… The book concludes with a two-page note to parents suggesting ways to deal with their children’s reactions.” — School Library Journal
