Our first three illustrated picture books, "The Great Ball Game" , "The Tale of the Unwelcome Guest" and "A Taste of Honey" , are available now.

Buy the book: "The Great Ball Game"

Buy the book: "The Tale of the Unwelcome Guest"

Buy the book: "A Taste of Honey"

Our 4th picture book in the series, "The Lion's Whisker" , hits shelves near you on May 23rd, but you can pre-order it now!

Circle round all year long with us at local bookstores and venues across the region! At each stop on the book tour, Rebecca Sheir and Eric Shimelonis will host a unique story time with live music and activities for kids.

"The Tale of the Unwelcome Guest" : The town beside the sea was abuzz with the news. The governor was holding a grand banquet and everyone was invited—everyone! But no one was as excited as Nasruddin. On the day of the celebration, Nasruddin works hard in his vineyard picking and squishing grapes. He planned to wear his special long red silk coat, but at the end of the day it’s too late for him to go home and change! When he arrives at the banquet in his grape-juice-stained work clothes, he looks different from what the townspeople were expecting. But Nasruddin is a clever fellow—and he figures out a most delicious way to teach the town a lesson about judging people for the way they look.

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"A Taste of Honey" : In a village in the countryside lived a woman named Kamala who had the most delicious honey you’ve ever tasted. She collected honey from her hives to sell at the market, but business was slow, and she and her father were struggling to get by. Kamala knew she had to do something, so when she heard that the king’s son was getting married and all the villagers were invited to the party, she got an idea. When Kamala’s first plan doesn’t exactly work out and seven tricky thieves try to steal from her, she has to rely on her own wits to outsmart them—and discovers a rather sweet reward.

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"The Great Ball Game" : A dispute between the animals and the birds over who is best leads to a ball game challenge. When the game is disrupted by the arrival of a tiny creature named Bat, who doesn't seem to fit on either team, all the participants learn the value of diversity and celebrating those who seem "different." The accompanying activities and prompts encourage children to develop their own storytelling skills.

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"The Lion's Whisker" : Courage, collaboration, patience, and sibling love prevail in this folktale with its roots in the Ethiopian tradition. The Lion's Whisker tells the story of Brother and Sister who are constantly arguing. When Grandmother sends them on a dangerous mission to pluck a lion's whisker for her magical potion, the siblings learn valuable lessons about the strength gained by working together, being brave, and showing patience and understanding for others.

Listen to the episode!