Sonny Heston – illustratör

A little child, Rachel, worries about loss while living with her family in a white and blue house. She imagines the worst each time a person or toy precious to her is not in sight. Her mama teaches her through a code phrase, Nothing is ever lost, that people and toys are always within reach and that a familys hearts are as one.

When Rachel dies, her family is sad and scared. It is her turn to remind them that she is still with them. God allows her to reach out to them by bringing a song to her brothers heart and a hug to her mama. This brings new hope to the family, and Rachel shouts from heaven that nothing is ever lost.

In the end, Rachel pets her cat, Mittens, who is with her now, and even from heaven plays a familiar game with her mama that stretches across time and loss. She and her family realize that they will always be together, even though they cant see one another in the worldly sense, and that God is good. He cares when we are afraid and cannot find our hearts.

Scrambled Eggs follows a father and son in their escapade to visit a chicken farm and learn about where eggs come from and how chickens live. Recipe for scrambled eggs included.

I remembered sitting in that two-room schoolhouse, just as if it was yesterday. Mrs. Biggs would read about George Washington crossing the Delaware. The weather was terrible, and his men had no shoes or coats, and their clothes were in rags. They kept marching to defend America from the Brits. We won that war. We were a free nation. She would read the stories about our history. The pilgrims and the American Indians shared that first Thanksgiving. The Indians had taught the pilgrims to plant corn and hunt for wild game.

Mrs. Biggs started our school day saying the Lords Prayer and the Pledge Allegiance to our flag. That was her way of teaching us how thankful we were to live in a wonderful country like America. Mrs. Biggs decided she wanted her student to know the 23rd Psalm. Each day, we would practice until each student was able to stand before class and recite the 23rd Psalm.

I would push Betsy to school in her little buggy and show her to my friends. Mrs. Biggs would put Betsy in her lap while she read Bambi to us. These are very fond memories. I hope all the children will love Betsy as I did when you read about our adventures.

I have dedicated my books to my friend, Linda Gaines Williams, and Jill Williams, a very special person.