Ellen is currently writing picture books about spray painted road codes, missing cats, cottonwood trees, a sukkah-building contest, and much more. Check out her blog to read her picture book recommendations.
From Izzie Is An Indoor Cat
Umi and Mica followed Izzie’s paw prints until they disappeared.
They searched
and searched
and searched.
“It shouldn’t be so impossible to find a black cat in the white snow,” Mica said, crying.
“Let’s look by your snow cat,” Umi suggested.
“Izzie wouldn’t go there. She doesn’t like other cats.”
Mica was right. No Izzie.
(Illustration by author/illustrator Brittany Cicchese. Discover her work at brittanycicchese.com)
From Sukkah Scramble
Across their fences, the Tischlers, Trachtenbergs, and Tranks loved to gossip, gloat, and grandstand. Look! They are doing it right now.
“Our family cooks the best chili!”
“Our family grows the best azaleas!”
“Our family builds the best sukkah!”
Wait. Stop. Best sukkah?
“Our sukkah is the biggest,” Mrs. Tischler boasted.
“Ours is the brightest,” the Trachtenbergs bragged.
“Ours is the boldest,” Grandma Trank blustered.
“Let’s settle the matter with a sukkah-building contest.”
“Fantastic! We’ll call it the Sukkah…er, the Sukkah…”
“The Sukkah Scramble!”
“Yes! The Sukkah Scramble,” they all agreed.
Their children were not impressed.
(Illustration by author/illustrator Ann Koffsky. Discover her picture books at annkoffsky.com/bio)
From Rennie's Secret Road Codes "That," Grandma announced, "is a stop sign. It means we stop.” Rennie yawned. Grandma could be so boring. “And this is a pedestrian crossing sign. It means we can cross. We are pedestrians.” “Ped!” said Edward. Rennie rolled her eyes. Grandma liked to look up, but Rennie liked to look down. Grandma saw power lines, traffic lights, and street signs. Rennie saw— “Look, Grandma! Those spray-painted blue lines are a secret invitation to a blue-eyed emu party at midnight. Everyone must wear shiny blue boas.” “Nonsense,” Grandma scoffed. “The light is green. Follow me."
Ellen Orleans 