I  grew up listening to my father’s poetry, songs, short stories, and limericks.   Regardless of what he was doing, poetry was his passion. As a young man, Thomas Richard Smith wrote poetry while stationed in the United Kingdom waiting to join the waves of GI’s landing on Omaha Beach, Normandy.  He continued to write up to his 94th year. I am forever grateful that he placed his writtings in my care. 

One of my favorites was the poem about a fox with pepper green socks. The words filled my head with images of the enchanted animals and their antics as they cheer up a lonely child who watches them from a distance.

My father asked me to publish his work and as part of that effort I selected his poem “A Basket of Soup”  to create the book “Into the Woods for a Basket of Soup”.  This is the first book in a series about the fox and his woodland friends.

Rebekah Keenner’s illustrations bring the animals to life in imaginative ways.  There is always something new and fresh to discover in each illustration.  Adult and child can join in the fun of discovery with each read. 

The Fox in Pepper Green Socks Series celebrates the young reader’s imagination with the adventures of the fox and other animals and characters. Each book offers an opportunity to read and learn something new. Parents can read these books to the youngest readers and discuss the information and questions for discussion in the back section of the book.

Tara Concannon-Gibney, an educator in the Department of Language, Literacy and Early Childhood Education at Dublin City University, writes, ” … poetry provides a wealth of opportunities for the development of literacy skills and strategies in a meaningful context”. 

The combination of the rhyming prose and colorful illustrations engage the senses of the reader, stimulating the  imagination. Every book features an entertaining section that draws from the story to add additional knowledge and promote discussion.