Gail (McCoy-Hager) Funsten

Open the pages of Miserable Mildred and whether teacher, parent, or student you will enjoy the delightfully rhythmic rhyme that transports you one way or another to the uniting human condition of either being or dealing with a child WHO DOES NOT WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL The main character, Mildred, is modeled after Gail Funsten's granddaughter, Faith. Her big brown eyes and look of disbelief are a perfect match for the catchy rhymes that she pleads her case with on each of the five school days. The refrain that runs throughout the book, "THE ONLY TIME SHE WAS ALL RIGHT WAS WHEN IT WAS TIME TO PLAY," will be heartily enjoyed by classroom children as they join in repeating it with the teacher when the book is read aloud. The illustrations of Mildred's wardrobe are nothing short of "Haute Couture." You'll also enjoy the exacting illustrations of a bright and cheery elementary classroom. The meticulous attention to detail is astonishing. Miserable Mildred is author/illustrator Gail Funsten's second book. It will not take a back seat. Rita Whitney- Retired elementary school teacher

The portrayal of a simpler life and timeless appreciation of nature are poetically knitted together in The Grandest Night Show. Papa tells his daughter that every day in the summer there's a night show. You just have to sit still long enough to watch it. She loves the night sounds in the hollow and can recognize each one. She hears the crickets and the whippoorwill and can answer the call of the night owl. She dances like a ballerina as she catches lightning bugs. She catches little magical lights until the inside of her jar dances like a night show. She has never seen a sunset because the hollow where she lives is surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains. She pleads with Papa to take her to the top of the mountain so she can see a sunset. Papa tells her that tomorrow night, they will see a night show at the top of the mountain. Join the three of them on their exciting journey to the top of the mountain for the grandest night show of all The Grandest Night Show consists of 38 pages of colorful illustrations and many panoramic scenes. Included is a glossary with key words and their meanings as they relate to the story.