Mariposa

Written in rhyming verse and illustrated throughout, this picture book follows a young seed starting out in a dry, unforgiving desert, where she has been told that nothing can grow. Doubts about whether anything can survive there cloud her hopes from the start.

As she tries to endure the blazing sun, she must decide whether the discouraging words of others will shape how she sees herself. Storm winds threaten to carry her away before she has found out who she truly is. The story traces her transformation as she meets these challenges.

Parents and teachers can use the book to teach young children that every person is made with purpose and love. All net proceeds are donated to Our House, a nonprofit in Little Rock, Arkansas, that supports people who are homeless or nearly so by offering shelter and other resources to help them move forward. More information is available at www.ourhouseshelter.org.