Gordon Peil

Henry and Oso

Written by Lynn Pearson Russell
Illustrated by Gordon Peil

The Gobbler and the Gooseberries

The Elves have a big problem.
The Gobbler has shown up and is starting to eat all their gooseberries.
The head elf says “Stop, you’re eating more than is your share!”
Will the Gobbler stop?
Will Boss Elf save the day?

The Big/Little Bear

The big brown bear has gone to sleep for the winter
but a sharp rock is poking his fanny.
In his dream he wishes he could sleep in a comfortable bed.
The Spirit of the Enchanted Woods grants his wish.
She turns him into a little brown bear asleep in Ali’s comfortable bed.
What happens when Ali wakes up?
What happens when winter ends and spring arrives?

The Breeze and Louise

The day Louise is born she finds herself high up in a tree.
All she has to do is spread her wings and fly.
But Louise is afraid to try.
She says it’s a long way to the ground if she fails.
The breeze has been watching, and whispers in Louise’s ear,
“You were born to fly.”
Can she?

Blooper

Blooper is a bunny with just one ear.
Blooper doesn’t like being different than the other bunnies.
His grandmother says “Don’t worry, Blooper. You’re special.”
His friend Margo also says Blooper is special.
But is Blooper special?
Will Blooper get a chance to show the other bunnies that he’s special?

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Sleepy Town

It's bedtime and Mama Raccoon tells Baby Raccoon it’s time to go to Sleepy Town.
“How do I do that?” asks Baby Raccoon.
Mama tells Baby to follow the road to Sleepy Town.
Does Baby do what Mama wants?
What does Baby find?

Baby Bulldozer

Every day Baby Bulldozer goes to the construction site with Big Mama Bulldozer.
Arthur, the foreman’s puppy, and Baby watch the big equipment do their jobs.
One day there is a loud KA-BOOM.
Arthur is terrified.
Arthur runs and hides.
Only Baby Bulldozer can save him.
Can Baby get there in time?

The Little Brown Bag

Jennie gets her school lunch in a little brown bag.
She saves the bag and takes it home.
That night the family decorates their Christmas tree.
The angel for the top of the tree is broken.
Jennie makes a new angel with the little brown bag.
Christmas morning something unexpected has happened.

Toad and the Pie à la Mode

What’s the best gift you can give friend?
What if your good friend keeps giving you dopey gifts?
Toad decides to speak up when Whoopy brings him a pie à la mode.
That was after Toad received the ballet slippers and the bow tie.
Can Toad explain without losing his good friend?
Good luck, Toad.

Goober

The Society of Spooks is mad at Goober the Ghost.
The spooks say he is supposed to be out scaring kids.
Instead, he’s been busy in the attic on a secret project.
No ghost has ever done what Goober is about to do.
A package comes in the mail. The adventure begins.
Let’s hope the spooks never find out.

Clunky Copter

Mouse rides on the night watchman’s shoulder.
On their nightly rounds they pass by many helicopters.
Mouse asks the watchman about each helicopter, but never asks about Clunky.
Mouse says that’s because the other helicopters look fast, or powerful, or tough
but Clunky Copter just looks… clunky.
“Not everybody would agree with you, mouse. Let me tell you a story.”

Farbadge the Garbage Truck

Farbadge the garbage truck works hard every day with David and Noah collecting garbage from hundreds of homes. It’s satisfying work, but something very important is missing. Nobody ever thanks them, not until one day when a little boy named Bryce changes everything.

F. Foxy Fox

F. Foxy Fox is a real stinker.
He ties raccoon tails in knots and throws rocks at Mr. Owl.
Everybody says “Go away, Foxy”.
But F. Foxy Fox has an even bigger problem.
He doesn’t know his own name.
He doesn’t know what the F stands for.
It could be a very powerful word.
It could change everything… including him.

One Boy’s Journey to America

Based on the amazing story of Dany Abi-najm.
Inspired and produced by Rev. Susan Querry Graceson and the children of Immanuel Presbyterian Church.

America is a nation of immigrants.
Dany and his brother were child soldiers in Lebanon.
His neighborhood was a battleground.
As the conflict worsened, Dany’s family packed up and left.
They got passage on a cargo ship to Cyprus.
Their journey to America is like many others.
Their success in America is a confirmation of our nation's promise.

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Doodle-Doo and KaKa

Nobody in the ancient world of dinosaurs was getting any sleep.
Two goofy birds were keeping everybody up.
Doodle-Doo and Kaka loved to squawk from sunset to sunrise.
The dinosaurs went to T-Rex for help.
T-Rex needed a clever plan to silence those noisemakers.
What will he do? Will anybody get any sleep? 

Mister Mole's Big Reward

While a hurricane rages above ground
Mister Mole is snug in his mole hole
comfortable in his favorite chair
a pot of his favorite soup warming on the fire.
But then there’s a loud KER-PLOP!
Someone has landed on his roof.
That someone is in trouble.
Time for action.
Mister Mole races to the rescue.
A powerful new friend will offer a big reward.

Bow Tie Guy

Written by Rev. Susan Querry Graceson
Illustrated by Gordon Peil

Mighty Mite

There is a mite, smaller than a grain of sand, that lives in Grady’s yard.
The mite says that he is Mighty Mite.
Grady says, “How can something so small be mighty?”
Mighty Mite explains where he gets his secret power.
Can Grady get some for himself?

Patootie

Up in the land of ice and snow there’s a little dog named Patootie
who can fix any snow plow quick as a wink. He’s a great snow plow
mechanic, but he really wants to be a great snow plow driver.
Little Patootie will need help to achieve his dream. He needs a
big friend. A really big friend. Maybe Storm Crusher will help.

Raggedy Wolf

Wolves are great hunters but Raggedy Wolf is not.
He tries everything to catch Quacker.
He disguises himself as a shrub, then as a duck, and even as a birthday gift.
Nothing works.
Poor Raggedy.
Will his creativity save him somehow?

Bubbles

When he sneezed bubbles flew out his nose.
So Mama named him Bubbles.
As he grew, so did the bubbles.
They got bigger. They came in rainbow colors.
Mama began to worry.
She went to Wise Old Owl for guidance.
Can Owl help?
Are the bubbles a curse, or a special gift?

Miracle in the Park

There’s an old guy with a bag of peanuts sitting on a park bench.
He looks down and sees a chipmunk.
He gives the chipmunk a peanut.
The next day there’s a chipmunk and a parrot.
He gives each one a peanut.
The next day there’s a chipmunk, a parrot, a mouse and a beaver.
Soon the bench is full of hungry creatures.
Can the old guy keep up?
His peanut bag is getting very heavy.
Who will take care of the old guy?

The King of the Cucumbers

Baby Bear likes to exercise walking up and down the rows of cucumbers in Farmer Brown’s cucumber patch. Farmer Brown doesn’t mind since the little bear is keeping all the pests away. But people passing by shout
“Bad bear. Get out of Farmer Brown’s cucumber Patch.”  The farmer and the little bear want the same thing.   How can they work this out?
They need a really clever plan.

Rooney

When little piddly things happen Rooney says, “Help me, Mama.”
When anything happens Rooney says, “Help me, Mama.”
She acts like a little bit of helpless fluff.
Can she do better?
Can she dial down the drama and learn to help herself?
Fortunately, Rooney is as smart as she is cute.

Stinker

In Skunk World it’s okay to make a stink
when your safety is threatened
like when a wolf wants to gobble you up.
It’s okay for a scared skunk to cause a stink.
Skunk Rules allow that.
But Stinker doesn’t follow the rules.
Almost anything can set him off.
He’s a real stinker.
It’s going to get him in big trouble.

Jibber-Jabber

Jibber-Jabber lives in a bucket of sand
in a bamboo shack
on a beach on an island in the middle of nowhere.
He has a friend, a grumpy old crab,
with the unlikely name of Abercrombie.
The boy asks, “Are there more like me?”
And Abercrombie always answers, “I don’t know”.
But one day a visiting porpoise has a different answer.

Turbo

Turbo is a little puppy dog.
His Mama named him Turbo.
He has no idea why.
One day a big wolf moves in next door.
Mama thinks the wolf is bad.
Mama says, “Turbo, run and get Papa and Uncle Boom. Be quick. We are in danger.”
Wolf doesn’t want Turbo to reach the big dogs. Wolf is very fast. Will he catch Turbo?
Will Turbo live up to his name?

Finnie the Fireman

There was a little boy who wanted to become a fireman.
It was his dream.
One day his class took a field trip to the firehouse.
At the firehouse the alarm rang.
The red light flashed.
The firetrucks roared out of the firehouse.
Nobody can explain what happened next.

Rex T-Rex

65 million years ago Rex and his good buddy Thelma are hunting for breakfast.
Everything edible either runs to fast, is too high up in a tree, or is too scary or too big to gobble up. 
Rex and Thelma have almost given up when they come across a boy and girl cooking waffles over a wood fire.
What do you suppose is on the breakfast menu for the two prehistoric monsters?

Little Red

Little Red is a baby woodpecker.
She lives in a giant oak tree with Big Red and Mama Red.
Little Red has a problem.
She’s allergic to wood. Wood makes her sneeze.
She’s a woodpecker who can’t peck wood.
Maybe owl can help her. Maybe not.

BaPa Zoo

There were only four creatures in the BaPa Zoo.
There was a golden lion, a mighty bull elephant, a T-Rex, and a magic dragon.
The zoo was in the middle of nowhere.
The only visitors were children.
One day the visitor was a little boy named Bryce.
Bryce asked, “May I have a ticket please?”
BaPa replied, “Here’s your ticket to the zoo.”

Finnie Bear

Where are you going, Finnie Bear?
The forest is very big and you are very small.
You eat berries from the bush. The bees give you honey.
At night you curl up into a ball of fur and sleep under the stars.
You’re smart and strong. You can take care of yourself.
But the scarecrow knows something is missing.
So does the stallion.
What’s missing, Finnie Bear?
Will you ever learn?

Boogaloo

Boogaloo is a dancing dragon.
In the whole history of dragons,
going all the way back to the first day,
there’s only been one dancing dragon.
The Shingaling is his dance.
While Boogaloo dances the Shingaling,
Little Gwen plays her harmonica.
Little Gwen is what we kindly call a ragamuffin.
In her raggedy dress she plays a mean harmonica.
She’s talented, proud, and beautiful.
For now… Little Gwen and Boogaloo are a team.
But what will become of her?
Little girls grow up, while dragons live forever.
Who will look after Little Gwen?

Scooter

Scooter is a baby raccoon.
He lives in an oak tree with Mama.
The oak tree has many rooms.
Groundhog, Squirrel, Owl and Eagle also live in the oak tree.
Scooter says, “ I want to see the faraway places.”
Everyone tells him to forget it.
They say, “You were never meant to see the faraway places.”
One day a hurricane strikes.
Groundhog and Scooter are blown into the creek.
The creek leads to the river, and the river leads to the faraway places.
Up ahead they hear the thunder of the Great Falls.

Smidge

People have their super heroes.
The bugs have Smidge.
You’ll never see him (except in this book). He moves too fast.
He’s here, there, and everywhere at once.
Wherever there’s a bug in trouble, there’s Smidge.
He never sleeps. No call for help ever goes unanswered.
He’s the most super of all the super heroes.
Let’s watch him work.
You won’t believe your eyes.
Fasten your seat belt! Here comes Smidge!

Pencil

Pencil lives with a lot of stuff in a drawer in Mama’s kitchen.
Nobody remembers how it got there.
When the drawer is closed the utensils in the drawer talk.
Mostly they brag. Pencil just listens. Pencil doesn’t brag.
The squabbling never ends.
One day the utensils learn that Pencil can do amazing things.
They ask, “Why doesn’t Pencil brag like us?”
Alice helps Pencil to explain.

Ghost in the Playground

A storm is approaching.
My dog Ruff and I are alone in the playground.
Someone is standing outside the fence.
It is a little boy my age.
He is a shade of blue, and he wears old time clothes.
I say, “Are you a ghost?”
He says, “I most certainly am.”
He says, “What sort of place is this?”
I say, “It’s a playground for children.”
He say, “May I play on your playground?”

Brussels Sprouts

Bryce doesn’t like Brussels sprouts.
He wraps them in a napkin.
After dinner he takes them outside.
He hides them behind a tree.
He turns to go.
A little voice says, “Are those for me?”
It’s a little bear.
“What’s your name?” says Bryce.
“No name,” says the little bear. “No home either.”
What should Bryce do?

Hogbert’s Great Adventure

Hogbert is round.
He’s round in front.
He’s round on the side.
He’s a perfectly round ball of fur.
Hogbert is till eating breakfast when he falls asleep.
He tips over.
He starts rolling downhill.
He rolls faster and faster.
What will happen to the roly-poly hog?

Armand de PorQ

Here is a great secret.
Not every dragon sleeps. One is awake.
She is very young. Her name is Princess Flame.
When Flame is grown, she will return magic to the world.
Meanwhile, she needs looking after.
That’s the job of PorQ, the French porcupine.
He is her bodyguard and teacher.
Their home is a stone tower.
The tower is very tall.
Woods surround the tower.
Hidden among the trees are Lion and Bear.
In the sky above is Hungry Bird.
The danger in the woods and sky does not matter.
PorQ and Flame are safe inside the tower.

Bapa’s Treehouse Tales: Rumple to the Rescue

Rumple’s lives in a beautiful treehouse.
One day two unexpected guests show up.
Fox chased them up the tree.
He’s waiting below to grab them.
The baby raccoon says, “Who will rid us of that pest?”
A baby bear says, “Not me. He scares me.”
Rumple says, “The best way to get rid of Fox is to trick him.
Here’s what we’ll do…”

Bapa’s Treehouse Tales: Rumple and the RUMBLE-RUMBLE

Fox is trying to be good, but being good is hard work.
He’s planted a little garden, but somebody’s eating his plants.
The other foxes are making fun of him.
These days he cries a lot. He goes “boohoo.”
He needs a friend who can help, who will stand at his side.”
Rumple sends Fox a friend who can help.
It’s a baby rhino named Thunder.
When Thunder makes goes RUMBLE-RUMBLE
Fox’s problems start to disappear.

Bapa’s Treehouse Tales: Rumple and the Mumbly-Womblies

Pastor Aaron is thinking, “I need help.
The children of my church have a case of the mumbly-womblies.
They come each Sunday with their parents.
When we begin the service they start to squirm and murmur.
Their heads are abuzz with this-that-and-everything.
Their minds are incredibly active. They can’t sit still.”
The church door opens. Rumple is standing there with a baby rhino.
“Morning Aaron,” say Rumple. “I have a cure for the mumbly-womblies.
But we’re going to have to work fast.
Tomorrow is Sunday!”

Bapa’s Treehouse Tales: Rumple and the Haunted School Bus

Thunder clears a path through the woods with his rhino horn.
His horn hits something solid.
There’s a loud CLUNK!
A big round eye is looking back at Thunder.
But it’s not an eye. It’s the headlight of a hidden school bus.
Rumple says, “That bus was never meant to be found.
Strange things happened on that bus.
It’s a very scary story. That school bus is haunted.”

Bapa’s Treehouse Tales: Rumple's 24 Hour Diner

Maybe Finnie Bear and Scooter can learn to cook.
They get tangled up in a batch of spaghetti.
They drop the chocolate cake on the floor.
Their pizza smells like dirty socks.
Their tossed salad sticks to the ceiling.
But they keep at it.
One fine day Rumple has an idea.
He says, “What this forest needs is a good diner.
I need two chefs to cook the food.”
Can Finnie Bear and Scooter do the job?

Bapa’s Treehouse Tales: Rumple and the Clever Kitten

Who will bring harmony back to the woods?
A howling coyote is keeping everyone awake.
There’s a lopsided turtle who is upside down,
a bully groundhog, and a bragging peacock.
Rumple’s treehouse may come tumbling down.
A lot of problems need to be fixed.
Someone smart and clever is needed.
This is a job for a golden kitten with emerald green eyes.

Bapa’s Treehouse Tales: Rumple and Zilch

There’s a tiny elf names Zilch.
He lives under a mushroom.
One day Rumple goes mushroom hunting.
He reaches for a plump juicy mushroom.
“OUCH!”, says a little voice. “You pinched me!”
“Who said that,” says Rumple?
“It’s me,” says Zilch.
Zilch is a magic elf, and Rumple is a good cook.
Can they use their special skills to ever be friends?

Bapa’s Treehouse Tales: Bryce and the Baby Monsters

Nobody notices when the baby T-Rex is born.
She tumbles out of the family nest and goes looking for food.
On the other side of the forest there’s a second unnoticed birth.
A baby dragon arrives, alone and hungry.
She snarls, belches a tiny fireball, and sets out in search of breakfast.
Bryce takes his little red wagon to the gooseberry bush.
His plan is to fill his wagon with gooseberries.
But two baby monsters have gotten there first.
What will Bryce put in his little red wagon?

Bapa's Treehouse Tales: Rumple & Penny's Wild Ride

A baby squirrel named Penny eats an acorn.
She finishes the acorn and drops the shell.
The shell goes BOINK on a little boy’s head.
The little boy says, “Ouch,” and let’s go his red balloon.
The balloon floats right by the baby squirrel.
The baby grabs the balloon and sails above the trees.
Mama Squirrel looks up and says, “Dear me!
Someone save my baby!!”
Who will save little Penny as she floats high above the clouds?

The Hunters

Let’s go find the hunter.
Around him the forest is busy. A bird lands on his nose.
A bug nibbles his cheek. A gopher swings on his tail.
He doesn’t move. He is silent. He is waiting. He is patient.
He is the hunter.
He is teaching us a lesson.
The virtue of silence. The skill of patience.
The advantage of self-control.
Some lessons come from unexpected places.
Every creature is a teacher.

BumpAlong & the Bear

BumpAlong is a turtle.
BumpAlong likes to explore.
He pushes open our backyard gate.
He wants to explore beyond our back fence.
But if he goes there I cannot see him.
We make a deal.
I tie a balloon to his tale.
Now I can see where he is in the tall grass.
But someone is blocking his path.
Watch out BumpAlong!

A Three Turtle Day

Written by Bill Diefenderfer
Illustrated by Gordon Peil

Duck & the Wrecking Ball

The earth is shaking.
Here comes the wrecking ball.
He crushes everything.
The workmen call him Buster.
Here come the duck.
She’s mostly feathers.
She makes little quacking noises.
Buster has come to tear down duck’s little home.
Duck says, “Please go away. You’re not welcome here.”
Buster has a job to do.
Duck has a home to save.
How does this story end?
Don’t underestimate the duck.

The Fisherman’s Legacy

The kayak is orange and the sky is blue.
Grandpa is fishing.
Something bumps against his kayak.
The ‘something’ is really big.
It’s Mia the manatee and her baby Marley.
Mia needs Grandpa’s help. Grandpa helps the manatees.
Mia and Marley meet Grandpa’s two granddaughters.
They all have a picnic.
Soon after Grandpa goes fishing once again.
Dark clouds hide the sun.
He does not see the huge storm approaching.
Who will help Grandpa get home safely?

The Embarrassed Elves

The day is just about to end.
I can see them in the fading light,
darting from tree to tree,
all dressed in their black capes.
These are the embarrassed elves.
Each one is embarrassed by something he did.
They are gathering in the mushroom swamp.
Eventually they will simply fade away.
I say to my wolf friend Lobo, “Let’s save these elves.”
But how?

The Bedtime Buddies

Baby Bear is having trouble getting to sleep.
The same thing happens every night.
The problem is his bedtime buddies.
They squirm and scuffle and snuggle.
Each one wants to sleep right next to Baby Bear.
She says, “Baby Bear, you need a good night’s sleep.
Your bedtime buddies are keeping you awake.”
I’m giving you a new buddy who will solve the problem.”
That night there’s Lion on the bed.
He’s wearing a sheriff’s badge.
What will Lion do?

Queen of the Weasels

Unacceptable,” roars the Queen!
“Lock them all up!
Throw away the key!”
The Weasel Kingdom is shrinking.
Nobody wants to be a weasel anymore.
People think weasels are sneaky and dishonest.
That’s why weasels are running away.
“Goodness gracious,” says the Queen.
“I’d better do something.”
But what?

Mister Hunch & Super Blooper

He’s just a little rabbit with no name.
He lives inside the grandfather oak and minds his own business.
But one day carrots go missing from Grandma’s kitchen.
The little rabbit has a hunch and solves the mystery of Grandma’s missing carrots.
Somebody important notices the little rabbit for the first time.
His life is about to change in a very good way.
He may even be given a name.
What’s going on?

Ultra Violet

Ultra Violet is a little girl with purple hair in a tattered dress.
She lives in a land where there are Bashers, Krizzles, Snaffle Grabbers and the Beast Magog.
Ultra Violet and her buddy Donkey do their best to protect the villagers from all the monsters.
But now there are rumors that the baddest monster of them all lurks in the mountains to the north.
“Then I will go north,” says Ultra Violet.
Donkey is not sure that’s a good idea.

Stinky Cheese

You don’t mess with cheese.
If you don’t eat your cheese it gets mad.
First it turns blue.
Then it gets crumbly.
After that you better watch out,
because when cheese is blue and crumbly,
it turns into something really terrifying,
it turns into Stinky Cheese.
Oh my goodness.
Look what happens when mouse doesn’t eat the cheese!

Baby Cakes

A little boy is playing in the mud.
He makes a birthday cake for his sister.
He takes a nap in the shade of an ancient tree.
The tree is from a long ago time,
a time of myth and magic.
That magic still lives in the old tree.
While the little boy sleeps something wonderful happens to his mud cake.
Can he keep the secret of the magic tree?

The Barn

Farmer Brown has retired.
He doesn’t work anymore.
His farm animals retired too.
They live in the farmhouse with Farmer Brown.
That leaves the Barn empty.
Nobody lives there anymore.
The Barn is not happy.
He gets up on his two big feet.
Where is he going?

Red Noses

Owl notices something strange.
Raccoon and Squirrel have red noses.
Owl looks at the mice.
Their noses are red.
Owl crosses his eyes and looks at his own nose.
It's red!
Red noses are popping up everywhere.
What's going on?
Can Goblin help?
How about Margo the Lady Dragon?
Oops!
Their noses are red too.
Owl puts on his thinking cap...

Blowy the Blowfish

Blowy is my pet blowfish.
Blowy takes a little getting used to.
Most kids have cats and dogs.
I have Blowy.
He can blow up like a balloon..
He likes to ride in my little red wagon.
He's very handy to have around.
You wouldn't believe what he can do.
You'll see.

The Gobbledygook

Grandpa says, “When you hear a scuffle in the darkest moment of the night
make not a sound, pull up your covers, hold your breath,
a passenger is traveling through your bedroom,
on a midnight highway, that goes right by your bed."
I say to Grandpa,“That’s just plain creepy.
Even if the creature is just passing through,
I don’t want it in my bedroom. I know what I'll do. I’ll set a trap."
Grandpa says, "Oh my goodness."

Monumental Mouse

In the beginning her name is just Maya.
She's tiny, and gray, and lives under a mushroom.
The mushroom is her best friend.
One morning the mushroom says to Maya,
"What's your problem, Maya? You were up all night."
Maya says, "I was listening to the woods again.
Every night I hear bad stuff happening.
I wish other mice were as safe as I am.
I guess it's up to me.
I've got to see what I can do."
She leaves safety behind.
She steps out into the forest.

Goober the Ghost & Norma the Cat

It’s really hard to scare a ghost.
Generally speaking
ghosts aren’t afraid of anything…
except cats.
You can guess what happens
when a ghost sneaks up behind a cat
and goes BOO!
The cat teeth and claws come out,
there’s a loud hiss, a shredding noise,
and the sheet the ghost is wearing
winds up in tatters on the ground
with nothing left but eyeballs and tongue.
So ghosts avoid cats.
There’s only one exception.
Goober the Ghost.
His best buddy is Norma the Cat.
This is how Goober met Norma.

Goober the Ghost & the Baby Witch

Every springtime in the woods there are lots of babies.
But there is one baby you have never seen.
You have never seen a baby witch.
On this particular spring morning
Norma the Cat and Goober the ghost are snoozing.
It's a little voice coming from inside their tree.
Goober says, "There's a witch in our tree."
The Baby Witch comes flying out and lands KERPLOP!
Norma says, "I've never seen a baby witch before."
"Me neither," says Goober.

Baby Witch & the T-Rex

One fine morning
Mama Witch finds a stripped Gallump using her toothbrush,
a woggle in her bathroom mirror,
and a hairy Thing-A-Jig sitting in her sink.
Mama knows what's going on.
Once again Baby Witch is playing with magic.
Baby Witch is creating strange creatures.
She promises Mama to stop after she creates just one more.
A T-Rex.
What could possibly go wrong?

Baby Witch & the Smoozle

Baby Witch and Smoozle come to a fork in the road.
Baby Witch says, “I’m going this way.
You go the other way. Don’t get in trouble.”
Smoozle walks on.
He finds an orange on the road.
The Smoozle is orange and so is the orange.
Smoozle says, “This must be a Smoozle egg.
I’ll sit on it till it hatches.”
Can Smoozle actually hatch a baby Smoozle from an orange?
Everybody stops on the road to help Smoozle.
What will it take for Smoozle to succeed?

The Simple Pimple

It's not easy being a pimple.
I'm not welcome anywhere.
When I do appear the first thing I hear is "Oh No!"
Fortunately, I'm a wealthy pimple.
I have lots of money.
I want to convince people I'm not so bad.
I'll pay famous people to say pimples are OK.
I'll hire witches, magicians and politicians.
I have lots of great ideas.
I hope something works.

The Runaway Thumb

During the little girl’s midday nap
Thumb gets to thinking.
He realizes he’s not very unhappy.
He doesn’t like living on her hand with the four fingers.
Thumb leaves the fingers behind.
He heads for the door.
The four fingers are shocked.
They whisper, “Come back, Thumb.
What will she think when she wakes?”
“Not my problem,” says Thumb.
“I’m tired of being different.
I’m going to find a hand that’s all thumbs.”

King Quack

Here comes King Quack.
There are jewels on his webbed feet
and a crown on his head.
When he waddles into the barnyard
Papa takes off his hat
and Mama trembles.
But the kids and Sparky
don’t get up to greet the King.
Sparky growls quietly,
and the kids whisper:

Duck duck,
you’re in luck.
Without Galloop
you’d be duck soup.

Galloop is King Quack’s bodyguard.
Galloop is a dragon.
What are the kids and Sparky planning?

Baby Witch & Captain Itch

Poor Fuzzy Bear.
He has an itch he can't scratch.
Nightmare Dragon has an itch she can't scratch.
Baby Witch notices a lot of unscratchable itches.
Greater Gator has a doozie on his tummy.
Heathcliff Hawk has a whopper on his tail.
Baby goes to Mama Witch.
She says, "How can I help all these itchy creatures?"
Mama says, "Have you forgotten you're a witch?
Use your magic!
Create a special creature that just scratches itches."

Baby Witch & PakoRatzo

Baby Witch and Mama Witch are looking at the family scrapbook.
There’s a picture of a little boy.
“Who’s that?” asks Baby. “He looks like me!”
“That’s your cousin Jack.
He was grabbed by PakoRatzo
and carried away to her cave.
He's beyond the reach of our magic.
Anything that goes into her cave never gets out.
We can’t save him.
It’s a very sad story.”
“I don’t like that story,” says Baby Witch.
I’m going to save Jack.”

Baby Witch & Little Duck

Winter is just around the corner.
Time to go.
The ducks rise at dawn
and spread their wings.
They take off heading south.
Little Duck oversleeps.
By accident, he’s been left behind.
Cold is on the way.
He’ll need warm clothes.
The lake will ice over.
Fish will be under the ice and out of reach.
How will he get warm clothes and food?
He'll need help from friends
and from a hippo that he has not yet met,
a hippo with a very hot bottom.

Baby Witch & the Hot Bottom Hippo

Leading the happy hippo herd,
Mortimer marches along,
alert to any sign of danger.
Mortimer is the protector of the herd.
When Mortimer growls
and opens his ginormous mouth,
gorillas faint and pythons panic.
But everything changes one day
when Mortimer takes a well-deserved break
and accidentally sits down
on a heap of hungry fire ants.
In a split second, Mortimer is changed
from the admired protector of the hippo herd
into an odd looking Hot Bottom Hippo.

Baby Witch & the Vampire Kid

It’s nighttime in the forest,
but Baby Witch and Owl are wide-awake.
Baby is on night duty.
It’s her job to keep everyone in the forest safe.
“Look down there,” says Baby.
"That’s a moving van from Far Away.
We must be getting a new neighbor.”
“Fine and dandy,” says Owl.
“But nighttime is an odd time to move in.”
Odd things start happening the very next day.

Baby Witch & the Big Sisters

Baby Witch sits on her favorite cloud.
Her cloud is pink and never moves.
It’s right above her forest.
From here she can see everything.
Her job is to protect the forest creatures down below.
She spies suspicious movements.
“Drat and fiddlesticks,” says Baby Witch.
“Those scoundrels are back.
Saddle up, Slugger.
Let’s grab them now before they start trouble.”

Baby Witch & the Great Lion of Pittsburgh

Oscar is a pink rabbit.
Fox has sharp eyes and a big appetite.
It's hard for Oscar to hide from Fox.
So Oscar stays in his rabbit hole.
Mama Rabbit is worried about Oscar.
She asks Baby Witch for help.
Baby introduces Oscar to a new friend.
It's the Great Lion of Pittsburgh.
The lion is only 6 inches tall.
How can the tiny lion help Oscar?

Baby Witch & Otter the Potter

Otter lives by the creek.
The mud on the creek bank is special.
Faster than the eye can see
Otter scoops up a glob of mud
and creates a beautiful pot.
At night while he sleeps
Snake comes and takes away the pot.
Each day is exactly the same.
Snake is always taking Otter’s pots.
Otter never complains.
Baby Witch sees what’s happening.
She says, "I have to do something.”

Baby Witch & the Flying Pig

Before his big adventure, he is just Morton J. Pig.
He lives in a heap of slop.
He eat, eat, eats, and then flops in the slop.
Slop flopping and sleeping makes up his whole day.
Meanwhile, high in the sky
Baby Witch is sitting on her favorite cloud.
She’s been watching Morton.
She says, "Morton needs to change.
Right now, he’s just a putrid pile of piggishness.
I need to shock him, and I have just the thing.”

Baby Witch & the Pirate Kid

The kid wants to be a pirate.
He wants to carry a big sword, wear an eye patch,
and sail the seven seas with the skull and crossbones.
waving from the mast.
But he’s just a kid in an old Halloween costume
in a rowboat tied to a dock
on a quiet pond with a pirate crew
of one scrufty old parrot named Jigs.
High up on her favorite cloud
Baby Witch has been watching.
She says, “I’m impressed.
I’ve never seen a kid have so much fun
just using his imagination.
He doesn’t need my help,
but I’m going to give him a little gift.”

Blooper & the Bad Bunnies

The only thing worse than a hurricane,
or a flood, or an earthquake,
is a bunch of bad bunnies.
One bad bunny is a headache,
but three bad bunnies are a nightmare.
One day the whole forest shudders and shakes.
Oma and Bapa go on their deck.
They see a swirling cloud of dust.
Bapa says, “The Bad Bunnies are coming.
Crank-up the Cheez-it cannon.
We’re in for a fight.”

Baby Witch & Joey Bagadonuts

At first Joey Bagadonuts was just Joey.
But he got into a mix-up with Baby Witch.
Baby had a bag of donuts.
Joey said, “Give me one of your donuts.”
She said, “Buzz off, short pants.
These belong to someone else.
Sorry, they’re not for you.”
That’s when Joey made his big mistake.
WHEN YOU TAKE SOMETHING THAT ISN’T YOURS,
like somebody else’s magic bag of donuts,
there’s always a price to pay.
And the price that Joey paid was pretty obvious.
Wherever Joey went the bag of donuts went with him.

Baby Witch & the Viking Kid

In the mountain ice
a tiny frozen figure sleeps.
A thousand winters have come and gone.
Centuries have passed.
But now the world is growing warmer.
Frost leaves the mountain.
Ice melts, and sunlight reaches in.
A heart that long ago had stopped
begins to beat.
The little frozen Viking is thawing.

Good Seamus

Seamus was small but had big ideas.
When Cat came after him,
he scooted under and tickled her tummy
until she went away laughing.
When Man set a wicked trap,
Seamus used it like a catapult...
to fling himself onto the breakfast table
and join the family for breakfast.
When Rain flooded out his hidey hole,
Seamus rode a Dixie cup to find the leak…
and plugged it with a button.

Kerfuffle & Fuss

There’s a lot of quack-quacking going on.
Kerfuffle is a yellow duck.
Fuss is blue.
The pond is deep blue and silent.
Kerfuffle and Fuss are not silent, not ever.
Right now, they’re arguing about pizza.
 “I just want cheese on my pizza,” says Kerfuffle.
Fuss says, “Without pepperoni, pizza tastes
like the cardboard box it came in.”
The two ducks can't agree on anything.
But they'd better start soon.
They missing out on a lot,
and there's a dragon headed in their direction.

Tuba & the Blue Frog

Things were okay at Swan Lake
until a Tuba showed up.
Yes, aTuba.
 On the night of the big concert
Tuba finished his solo, got up
ran past the conductor, off the stage,
out the back door,
and straight out of town.
Right here on this same lake,
a blue frog was born.
His whole family was green.
Because he was blue, the giggling never stopped.
What will Tuba and the Blue Frog do next?

Dory & Hunky

Dory and Hunky are best friends.
Dory is a little bitty thing.
Hunky is a dragon droid.
He can be really scary.
Dory is not afraid of Hunky.
He’s like her puppy dog.
They take care of each other.
Hunky was made in a droid factory.
The day they made him
the frightened workers all ran away.
Yesterday somebody stole the city of Pittsburgh.
All that's left is a giant footprint.
It was an alien from outer space who took it.
Sounds like a job for Dory and Hunky.

Gator Ate Her

Actually, he didn’t.
He certainly thought he did.
Gator opened his humongous mouth,
just like always, and went CHOMP.
He smiled his alligator smile
and said, “Yum, yum!”
But something wasn’t right.
All he could taste
was his own bad breath.
Had he missed?
There was no hedgehog anywhere in sight.
“Where’d she go?”
“I’m right here,” said a voice inside his head.
“You just bit off more than you can chew.”

Gator’s Talking Tummy

Gator is mostly tummy.
It’s right there in plain sight,
right between his ginormous mouth
and his flippy-floppy tail.
If Gator’s tummy is happy,
then so is Gator.

This morning Gator is not happy.
“Oops,” says Gator.
“I bet my tummy is not happy.”
Tummy says, “What are you eating?
This tastes like a bicycle tire!”
Gator says, “Ummm…”
Tummy says, “I’m fed up.
I’m tired of the slop you eat.
Get me good food, Gator,
or you’ll never be happy again.”

Gator & the Clone-Drone

There was no warning.
One moment the sky was empty,
the next moment she was right there,
hovering above Gator
as he floated in the swamp water,
sipping prune juice.
It was Clone-Drone CD2,
humming and vibrating,
her blue eye going blink-blink-blink.

Gator & the Kid Detective

Gator’s toothbrush is missing.
He looks everywhere.
No toothbrush.
“Drat and fiddlesticks,” said Gator.
“I’ve been robbed.”
He calls the Park Ranger.
The ranger looks around.
She says, "Your stolen toothbrush is a mystery.
Ask the police for help.”
Gator calls the Police Chief.
The chief says,
"You need a super detective.
Call the Detective Kid.”

Gator & the Little Lost Dog

Gator glides like a green shadow
unnoticed by every swamp creature,
except the fish,
who see him coming and skedaddle.
Gator spies movement on the shore.
It’s two alligators arguing
while, in between them,
a sad little dog shivers and shakes.
Gator checks out the little dog.
He could use a bath and a meal.
He could also use a friend.
Gator rises from the swamp…

Gator & the Gobble Bug

Gator messed up.
Without thinking,
he lunged out of the swamp water
with his alligator mouth wide open
and chomped down on the back end
of a Park Service jeep.
The Park Ranger was sitting in the front seat.
She turned and looked at Gator.
The bumper and tail pipe
were sticking out of his mouth.
She said, “Gator, Gator, Gator.
What am I going to do with you?
Now you’re in really deep doo-doo.”

Gator & the Big Bully

If you want to upset a sleeping alligator,
jump on his snout
and shout “WAKE UP, GATOR!”
Gator wakes with a snarl and a hiss.
He roars, “Who goes there?
Prepare yourself for sudden death.”
Owl says, “Chill, big guy.
It’s just me.
While you slept,
something really bad crept into our swamp.
It’s the worst creature ever.
We need your help.”

Gator & the Blue Noodle

It was a disaster.
No, it was worse than that.
Everything went wrong all at once.
Charlie, the night supervisor, spilled coffee on the red button,
so there was no alarm
when the equipment jammed up
and kept on making one giant noodle.
Instead of making thousands of little noodles,
the noodle machine made just one
and kept on making it all night long.

Gator & the Mockingbird

Stork and Gator were fishing.
A voice said, “Go away, Gator.
You’re right in the middle of my private fishing spot.”
Gator looked at Stork.
Stork said, “That wasn’t me. I didn’t say a thing.”
Gator lost his cool.
He roared, “There’s a sneak in my swamp!
Somebody’s whispering nonsense in my ear.
When I catch the trickster, I’ll dispose of him
with one chomp of my giant alligator teeth.”

Gator Turns Blue

Hippo said, “I can hold my breath longer than you.”
He took a humongous breath
and inflated like a balloon.
Five minutes passed.
Fssssss...
Hippo deflated.
“Beat that,” said Hippo.
Gator took a deep breath and held it.
45-minutes later Gator exhaled.
But Gator held his breath way too long.
He turned blue!

Gator & the Dragon Stew

“Excuse my bad manners,” said Mouse.
"I’m trying to find the Knight
 before the Dragon sees him.
The Dragon is getting ready to cook his lunch,
and the Princess is on his menu.
The Knight is trying to save the Princess.
But the dragon is enormous, and the Knight is small.
The only way the Knight can win is by surprise.
He has to sneak up on the dragon.
But the Knight’s armor squeaks.
The Dragon will hear him coming from a mile away,
and gobble him up.”

Gator & Wonder Worm

Gator went to the Park Ranger’s office.
He said, “Wonder Worm is on a mission.
He’s dashing around the swamp,
saving worms and then complaining to me.
As long as there are fishermen, crows,
and animals with big feet,
this could go on forever.”
Ranger checked her Critter Computer.
She said, “I see Worm has succeeded.
All the worms in the swamp are now safe.
The one that Moose stepped on is recovering.
The Park Service won’t charge Moose.
Meanwhile, we need to give Wonder Worm a new mission.”

Gator & Wonderful Woof

Gator blinked.
He said to himself, "Am I seeing things?
I think that toy dog just waved goodbye to me.”
Gator decided that couldn’t have happened.
“No way,” said Gator.
“I must have bumped my head when I fell off the bike.”
His alligator brain thought and thought.
In fact, Gator thought so long and so hard
that he exhausted himself,
went to sleep,
and fell off the stump.

Gator & Molly's New Dress

Molly is a little raccoon,
who lives under an abandoned shack
at the edge of Gator’s swamp.
Years ago, a little girl lived in the shack,
but her family moved away
and left some things behind.
Among the discarded things,
Molly finds a dress,
the little girl’s doll had worn.
She puts on the dress.
It fits.

Gator & the Green Ghost

It was Gator’s fault.
No question about it.
Here’s how it happened.
Roy the repugnant reptile was eating orchids.
Those plants make Gator’s swamp beautiful.
Gator caught Roy in the act,
gobbling a mouthful of beautiful orchids.
Gator flew into a tizzy.
 
In a split-second Gator turned from being a loveable alligator
into a raging green nightmare.
He chased Roy all over the swamp
until Roy slammed at top speed
into the statue of the Little Professor
at the center of Gator’s swamp.

Gator & His Wishing Star

Each night,
just before Gator went to sleep,

he’d say:

“Star light, star bright,
first star I see tonight,
wish I may, wish I might,
get the wish I wish tonight.”

On this particular night,
Gator was having a sleepover.
Stumpy the giraffe was his guest.
“That Wishing Star looks really close,” said Stumpy.
Stumpy was right.
The star was right above their heads.
“Hey,” said Gator.

“What are you doing down here?

Gator & the Lonely Doorknob

Everyone had forgotten
who she used to be.
Now she was just a doorknob,
stuck at the bottom of the swamp.
The creatures paid her no attention,
and the plants did not grow near her.
She had angered the Good Witch,
who called forth fire and lightning,
and turned her from who she was
into a doorknob
and banished her to the swamp,
to be alone forever.

Punch Wiggle

There’s a new kid sitting in the back row.
I say, “Hi. My name is Jack. What’s yours?
The kid says, “I’m Punch Wiggle. Nice to meet you.”
Punch says his family just moved in.
He invites me to come over after school.
He gives me his address.
I go over after baseball practice.
A girl answers the door.
I say, “Does Punch live here?”
She looks scared. She says, “You’d better go.”
As she closes the door, I look past her into the house.
There’s a big doll that looks exactly like Punch.

Punch Wiggle & the Viking Army

At the Wiggle house,
Dr. Wiggle unlocks his laboratory door.
His security system greets him
in an unexpected way.
It says, “Good morning, doctor.
While you slept,
a dangerous robot was created
and has escaped.”
Dr. Wiggle says to himself,
“Someone hacked into my lab
and created a RogueBot that’s loose in the town,
where it’ll leave a trail of destruction.
I’ll be blamed for whatever happens.
This is no time to dilly-dally.
I’m calling for an emergency family council."

Punch Wiggle & a FarFarOut Mystery

I say, “Spill it, Punch2.
On the copter you looked upset.
Now you look even worse. What’s up?”
Punch2 says, “Just before the satellite sank,
it sent out an SOS message.
It was very faint.
I have a super microchip,
so I heard it and recorded it.
I’m going to push my replay button
Listen:”

SOS-SOS!
To Kark McHugh.
Your relay on 2018 AG37
is running out of battery power
and shutting down...

Punch Wiggle & the Monster Mystery

In the copter we circle over the beach at 50 feet.
Dr. Wiggle says to the pilot, “Take us up to 250 feet.”
Punch says, “Dad, what’s going on?”
Dr. Wiggle says, “Look down at the beach."
The pilot says, “I can’t believe what I’m seeing.
You’ve gotta get up this high to see it.
It looks like giant footprints.
But nothing in the world is that big.”
The General says, “This is worse than I thought.
We don’t want to cause a public panic.
I’m placing this under a national security directive.
Going forward this is all Top Secret."

Punch Wiggle & the Ghost Plane Mystery

Punch is the first one to see it.
It comes in low just above the waves,
hugging the contour of the beach.
It is dark against the setting sun.
Big guns poke from its snout and belly.
It is a warplane from long ago,
and it is hunting.
Before we can breathe
it passes right over of us
almost close enough to touch,
but there is no disturbance of the air
and there is absolutely no sound.
It follows the beach, never overlapping the land,
and is swallowed by the night.