Bethany Straker – illustratör

“A delightful book that any fan of the undead is sure to love.” —Scott Kenemore, author of The Zen of Zombie and Zombie, OhioTiddles is a suave, carefree kitty cat whose only pleasures in life are eating mice, wooing the ladies, and being generally apathetic toward his owner, Jake. But when a toxic spill occurs outside of town, Tiddles finds himself savagely attacked by a nasty-looking radioactive field mouse, and he wakes up as one of the undead. However, he still retains a bit of compassion and refrains—for now—from zombie Bacchanalian delights, such as eating living beings’ brains! Umm . . . any brains at all!However, Tiddles, a.k.a. Zombie Cat, is decomposing rapidly and would prefer to live a normal life in the zombie apocalypse with his owner, Jake. But will Jake take in his former cuddly pet or will ZC be doomed to roam the streets trying to avoid the inevitable pull of his undead yearnings? Zombie Cat is a humorous adult picture book in the vein of Pat the Zombie and Ten Little Zombies: A Love Story. Isabel Atherton’s quirky storytelling combined with Bethany Straker’s captivating (and slightly grotesque!) illustrations make this the perfect addition to any Halloween collection. It’s the ideal gift for any crazed zombie fanatic—or equally crazed cat lover.

Far off into space—186 million miles to be precise—a fearless robot rover travels all by his lonesome. He is on a crucial mission from Earth, eagerly seeking to answer the much-anticipated question: Does life exist on Mars? But there is nothing to be seen on this planet except miles of rocks. He loses support from mission control and finds himself alone and cut off from civilization. But the curious little robot is resilient! After noticing a flash of light shining brilliantly through the crack of a rock, he instantly realizes his mission is far from over. He slowly inches towards the edge, but then suddenly falls perilously into the darkness! What will he discover?Bethany Straker''s vibrant illustrations accompany James Duffett-Smith''s suspenseful tale of discovery and hope. A Curious Robot on Mars! will motivate any and all readers to strive for one''s ambitions—and most importantly, to always be curious!

In Spooky Town, there live many ghosts, ghouls, skeletons, and scary creatures. However, none of these creepy characters wants to play with a particular ghost—Smelly Ghost. The reason is simple: Smelly Ghost only consumes frightening junk food. He devours bone chips, chocolate toes, and eyeball pizza. Sadly, these foods make his tummy growl and yell—keeping everyone far, far away. Devastated, Smelly Ghost wonders why no one wants to be his friend.One day, Janice the mummy-cleaner suggests to Smelly Ghost that perhaps he try eating some creepy vegetables and spine-chilling fruit. What does he have to lose? He eagerly begins to munch on ghoul carrots and to nibble on slime bananas. And in the process, Smelly Ghost starts to feel more energetic and even floats higher and faster. Slowly but surely, the other Spooky Town inhabitants creep back toward Smelly Ghost, and he is soon playing with them every day. Smelly Ghost is an entertaining book that also encourages children to eat healthy, promoting not only a nutritious diet but also a healthy body and mind.

Martha’s the tallest chicken on the farm—and it’s not because she hit a growth spurt. Unfortunately, instead of normal chicken legs to hold her up, Martha’s legs are two giant yellow springs. After a run-in with a nasty fox, the farmer does the best he can to fix poor Martha, but it just isn’t the same. Now, she’s too tall to fit inside the chicken coop like all the other hens, her eggs are always smashed and scrambled since she’s so high off the ground, and it’s difficult to maneuver such big legs without stepping on a few toes and ruffling some feathers. But when the fox comes back, can Martha and her spring-legs muster the courage to save the day? Will that be enough for the brood to welcome her back?Featuring an empowering story of acceptance from author Isabel Atherton, and bold, colorful illustrations by Bethany Straker, Springy Chicken celebrates that we all have something special to offer.Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

The little daffodil’s only dream, ever since he was just a bulb, was to grow to be tall, bright, and yellow. But during the winter, the little bulb catches a cold. When springtime finally arrives, the bulb’s brothers and sisters have all grown into beautiful, yellow daffodils, while the little daffodil is left spotted and small. The daffodil is ashamed of his red spots, and thinks himself ugly in comparison to his brothers and sisters. So when a little girl comes outside to play for the first time since winter, the little daffodil tries to hide in shame. But the little girl is looking for a special flower to give her grandmother. Does she choose the spotty dotty daffodil? Does the daffodil finally accept his spots?Featuring a heartfelt story of acceptance from author Rose Mannering, and beautiful watercolor illustrations by Bethany Straker, The Spotty Dotty Daffodil celebrates the differences in all of us—spots, stripes, or otherwise. Parents, caregivers, and teachers of children between the ages of 3 and 6 will love the beautiful illustrations and important message of being happy with who you are and accepting differences. This is a perfect gift for any young child for spring holidays or birthdays. The message is very positive, the tone uplifting, and the little spotty dotty daffodil has a gentle personality that children will be drawn to.Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Did you know that Jupiter is eleven times the size of Earth? The solar system is an incredible place that is still mostly unexplored. So, when Stella and her family move to a new town—where Stella has no friends except for her dog Steve—she goes exploring. In this educational book, travel across the solar system with Stella and Steve as Stella looks for a new home on another planet and imagines what life would be like on another world, from Mercury to Pluto. But along the way Stella learns that Venus has acid rain and Neptune is made entirely of gas, and she begins to wonder whether Earth might actually be the perfect home for her after all.Featuring a fun and informational story from author James Duffett-Smith, and bold, comic book style illustrations by Bethany Straker, Stella and Steve Travel Through Space shows just how great the Earth is (while providing young children with an early science lesson) in a twist on “there’s no place like home.” A quirky but education book on the solar system (with slight undertones of conserving the Earth), this book for children ages 3 to 6 is sure to find a home in preschool and Kindergarten classrooms as well as home across the globe. Parents will love the science information throughout and kids will instantly connect with Stella and her suave pug Steve. Children will learn the basics about the solar system, the various planets, and why we are able to live on Earth so well.Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Meet Regina Sharpe. She has full-blown anxiety, but she’s not alone. Over 40 million adults in the United States suffer from anxiety disorders, and women are twice as likely as men to be riddled with unfettered anxiety. Author and illustrator Bethany Straker has had personal experience of dealing with anxiety, and wanted to adopt a humorous approach at addressing our common fears.A selection of anxiety-inducing fears highlighted in the book include:Being a failureAgeingChanging jobsHaving childrenFlyingBecoming a bag ladyAnd many more!With witty illustrations and inspirational quotes on each spread to help any anxiety sufferer get through the tough times, Why Am I Scared of Everything? promises to make the reader laugh at his or her own worries while feeling as if they aren’t alone in their fears.

Something doesn’t smell right at Mr. Abel Throppe’s bakery. Eighteen customers are sick, and they’re blaming it on his pie! What could have caused this awful epidemic? It seems a funny bunny fly has taken up residence in the bakery. You see, Funny Bunny Fly doesn’t like to be clean. Prior to entering the bakery, he rolled in some dog doo-doo and is spreading germs all over town! Mr. Throppe better keep his bakery clean, or he’s going to lose his customers and gain a permanent new tenant.The Funny Bunny Fly is a cautionary tale about hygiene that’s playful and fun. Bethany Straker’s silly rhymes are complemented by her colorful and wacky illustrations. The Funny Bunny Fly is sure to keep the laughter bubbling—and, hopefully, the soap too!Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Ruby Moo has always been different from the other cows. She isn’t content making yogurt, milk, and cheese on the dairy farm. Ruby wants to be an astronaut, an explorer, and, more than anything, she wants to be the first cow deep-sea diver. So one day, brave Ruby Moo stows away on a van and rides it all the way to the ocean. Borrowing a helmet, she dives right into the water and discovers an exciting shipwreck along with a scary, giant squid! Thankfully, the squid is only looking for a chess partner—and maybe someone to play with on his trampoline. Phew!Author Isabel Atherton concocts a quirky story of a courageous cow who dares to dream big. Bethany Straker’s zany illustrations bring the story to life with vibrant colors that are sure to spark the imaginations of little readers everywhere and make them say, “If Ruby Moo can, I can, too!”Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Like most dogs, Pierre, a French bulldog, loves the excitement of digging things up. He hoards his treasures in a hole in the backyard and then makes space for more. One day Pierre tosses some old stuff into the trash can, but he forgets to recycle. Now, instead of being transformed into new things, that plastic bottle and newspaper will sit in a landfill forever! Well, not if Pierre has anything to do with it. He chases the garbage truck through town, but will he catch it in time, or will those treasures be trash forever?From author Kate Louise comes Pierre the French Bulldog Recycles—a quirky and fun lesson about the importance of recycling. Bethany Straker’s expressive illustrations make this adorable pup come to life on every page and are sure to get kids thinking about the importance of saving the environment one small piece of trash at a time.Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.