Little Thoughts Press Issue Twelve: Better Together with a sneak peek of the story "The Perfect Collection" by Mary Munson. Mary Munson is a children’s author and early childhood special education teacher who believes the best stories make children laugh while helping them grow. Inspired by many years working with young children, she writes stories that nurture kindness, resilience, and joy while inviting readers to feel a sense of wonder about the world around them. Her boo

Little Thoughts Press Issue Twelve: Better Together with a sneak peek of the poem "Recycled Fashion" by Sarah Hetu. Sarah (Sezza) Hetu loves thunderstorms, beaches, rockhounding, and finding just the right word. Her poems and other writings may be found in several magazines, with a publication forthcoming in High Five . She won a young authors award for her story, “The Avocado Seed,” in elementary school, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She is grateful for her two magical c

Little Thoughts Press Issue Twelve: Better Together with a sneak peek of the story "Newsgirl" by Lauren N. Simmons Lauren N. Simmons is a writer who lives in the Kansas City area with her husband and daughter. Her work has appeared in various publications, including Cadet Quest , Deaf Devo , Focus on the Family (as a Hacks & Facts contributor), Keys for Kids/ Unlocked , Kosmeo , Pure in Heart Stories , and The Old Schoolhouse . Little Thoughts Press: Your story “Newsgirl” is 

Little Thoughts Press Issue Twelve: Better Together with a sneak peek of the poem "Not One More Acre" by Melinda Szymanik Melinda Szymanik writes all sorts of things for children and most of them are poems and picture books. Her picture books are usually published in Aotearoa New Zealand where she lives, but a couple have appeared in the USA, including My Elephant is Blue (Flyaway Books, 2023). Her poems have been published in anthologies, and by The Toy , Paddler Press , The

Little Thoughts Press Issue Twelve: Better Together with a sneak peek of the poem Eli's House by Amanda McKenzie Amanda McKenzie is a children’s writer and poet, mother of two and library fanatic. Her poetry has been published in The School Magazine, Little Thoughts Press and The Dirigible Balloon . Her poem ‘Peacock Mantis Shrimp’ was joint winner of The Poets XYZ 'Big Things, Little Things' Poetry for Children competition in 2025. You can find her playing with words and

Little Thoughts Press Issue Twelve: Better Together with a sneak peek of the poem "Before My School" by Jenn Gaulding. Jenn Gaulding is a math and science educator and a picture book writer who believes even small exchanges of empathy and kindness make the world a better place. Jenn lives near Atlanta, GA, and is a member of the 12x12 Picture Book Challenge and SCBWI. In 2025, her short stories and poems were selected as finalists or runners-up in several kidlit writing comp

Little Thoughts Press Issue Twelve: Better Together with a sneak peek of the poem "School Library Donation Day" by David McMullin. David McMullin is a picture book author, illustrator, and children’s poet. His books include Free to be Fabulous (HarperCollins), Rock ‘n’ Roll Baby (Penguin/ Random House—March 3, 2025), and a soon-to-be-announced early reader series. His poems can be found in many magazines and anthologies. Honors include an SCBWI Ann Whitford Paul Award, an Ast

Little Thoughts Press Issue Eleven: Stirring Words with a sneak peek of the poem "Elf-Locks" by Mims Sully, featuring artwork by Kim Wagner Nolan. Mims Sully  is a prize-winning poet from Sussex, England, who writes for both adults and children. Her poetry for children has been published in Tyger Tyger , The Dirigible   Balloon , The   Changeling, The   Toy and Little Thoughts Press . When not writing, she enjoys baking, swimming, playing board games and exploring the country

Little Thoughts Press Issue Eleven: Stirring Words with a sneak peek of the poem "Cats and Dogs" by Webb Smith, featuring artwork by Kim Wagner Nolan. Webb Smith is a retired firefighter from metro-Atlanta with a master’s degree in biomechanics. He has written, illustrated, and self-published three books that can be viewed at www.webbsmithbooks.com . His bucket list includes scuba diving with great white sharks and going to a Nippon League baseball game in Japan. Little Thou

Little Thoughts Press Issue Eleven: Stirring Words featuring the poem and illustration "Hurkle-durkle" by Shaunessy Sinnett. Shaunessy Sinnett grew up in Goderich, Canada. She used to tell stories as a professional dancer in Riverdance until she discovered that telling stories on paper hurt her feet a lot less. Now, Shaunessy enjoys writing sweet, spooky, and humorous stories for young readers. She is a member of SCBWI, 12x12, and was selected this spring as a mentee in the

Little Thoughts Press Issue Eleven: Stirring Words, showcasing the illustration A Murklin Sonata by Stephanie Buosi. Stephanie Buosi is a Canadian illustrator and graphic designer who loves drawing animals, fantasy creatures, and kids on adventures. She’s an environmentalist, and in her spare time volunteers with Turtle Protectors in Toronto, assisting mama turtles throughout the nesting season. When she’s not doodling in her sketchbooks, you can find her outside among the t

Little Thoughts Press Issue Eleven: Stirring Words with a sneak peek of the story "Bocha Bocha Brothers" by Shawna Cain. Shawna Cain writes with a mission to bring lighthearted fun to both kids and their grown ups. Before writing for children, she spent over a decade working in social justice and corporate responsibility within food systems. She has a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Systems, and was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho, Southern Africa. She currently lives in Or

Little Thoughts Press Issue Eleven: Stirring Words with a sneak peek of the poem "My Grandmother's Words" by Barbara Bleiman. Barbara Bleiman is a London-based ex-English teacher and education consultant at the English and Media Centre (EMC), with a keen interest in poetry. She has written a book about English teaching, What Matters in English Teaching , and has published two novels and two collections of short stories. She is also a children’s poet, with several poems up on

Little Thoughts Press Issue Eleven: Stirring Words with a sneak peek of the poem "A Pebble Remembers" by Mona Voelkel. The poem is accompanied by artwork by Kim Wagner Nolan. Mona Voelkel is a reading specialist and writer. Words are the heartbeat of her teaching and writing life so she is especially honored to contribute to Stirring Words. Her poetry has been published by The Dirigible Balloon and The Milford Journal. A new picture book, Moon Choo-Choo , illustrated by Nancy

Little Thoughts Press Issue Eleven: Stirring Words with a sneak peek of the poem "Pandemonium" by Rachel Burrows. The poem is accompanied by artwork of musical instruments by Imogen Hartland. Rachel Burrows and her stories grew up in Wales though she now lives near Stonehenge with her family and dog, Fennel. Her children’s poems can be found in The Dirigible Balloon , Tyger Tyger , The Toy , The Yorkshire Times , Northern Gravy and Little Thoughts Press . She has read her po

The illustration, I Heard a Song, by Imogen Hartland in Little Thoughts Press Issue Ten: An Ekphrasis Adventure. Lisa Roullard lives in...

The illustration, Portrait Painting, by Olivia McGinty in Little Thoughts Press Issue Ten: An Ekphrasis Adventure. Ian Brownlie lives...

The illustration, 51st Street, by Kim Wagner Nolan in Little Thoughts Press Issue Ten: An Ekphrasis Adventure. Kim Wagner Nolan is an...

A photograph from Little Thoughts Press Issue Ten: An Ekphrasis Adventure featuring the poem "Monty" by Sadie Maskery. Sadie Maskery ...

I Heard A Song, by Imogen Hartland in Issue 10: An Ekphrasis Adventure Issue 10: An Ekphrasis Adventure is an appreciation of artwork and...