This is the second mysterious tale involving a powerful dust devil.

In this story, Paloma, her father, and their friend the balloon pilot get swept up in a powerful dust devil. When they land, they find themselves somewhere unexpected... in the past of their own family. What does Paloma's great-great grandfather know that will help them get back to their own time?

The book also contains a brief history of ballooning, a diagram of balloon parts, and an author's note.

ISBN 978-1-929115-19-8

Hardcover · 48 pages
For children ages 5 to 14 · Grades K - 6
Published in 2010

$19.95

Finalist of the 2009 New Mexico Book Awards
Category: Juvenile Book - grade school to junior high

The purpose of the New Mexico Book Awards is to honor great books from New Mexico and the Southwest.

Moonbeam Children's Book Awards
Category: Pre-teen Fiction

"Celebrating youthful curiosity, discovery, and learning through books and reading."

THE MAGICAL MRS. IPTWEET AND ME
Written and illustrated by Barbara Mayfield

Prudence Fish Hornby is nine and a half and her big heart is broken. All of life looks dull and sad and hopeless. Plus she has this terrible name that does not reflect her true adventurous self, not even a bit, but who cares, why bother, there's nothing to be done about anything. Until that windy day in March when a certain Mrs. Iptweet moves into the empty house at #406 on boring old Durham Street where nothing ever happens...

Characters:
Prudence Fish Hornby, nine-and-a-half-year-old Budding Cartographer;
Gran Modesta, avid reader and lavender-lover, who has gone to her Reward;
Prudy's Dad, a motorcycle-riding, banjo-playing bear of a man;
Prudy's Aunt Belle, a Professional Recycling Cowgirl Artist;
Prudy's Mom, the Rock of the Family;
and Mrs. Iptweet, artist, gardener and Parade Specialist.

Praise for The Magical Mrs Iptweet and Me:
"Mrs. Iptweet is a refreshing eccentric in the tradition of Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, who reminds us that dreaming big is always in season. Barbara Mayfield remembers what the wonder and discovery of nine years old is like."
Jonathan Richards, journalist, actor, cartoonist, illustrator

"The Magical Mrs. Iptweet and Me is full of original characters with voices not heard elsewhere in literature for the young at heart: a nine-and-a-half year old Budding Cartographer, a Recycling Cowgirl Artist, a Classical Banjo Player, and, of course the magical Mrs. Iptweet, part Earth Mother, Part Good Witch. Like Prudence/Sheherazade, while reading I often "felt a giggle start to happen in me" and longed to get out my glitter pens or work on Tapping the Power of the Earth. But this story also has a serious side and there are great lessons in it about dealing with grief, loss, fear, and divorce in creative and nurturing ways. I want to know where the story goes from here."
Jenice Gharib, former Director of the Southwest Literary Center

".....a little bit of Mrs. Iptweet lives inside all of us - the desire to help a child grow up strong and independent."
Jennifer Owings Dewey, Author/Illustrator of 40 children's books, Orbis Pictus Award winner, Spur Juvenile Non-fiction Award.

Author: Barbara Mayfield was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, and lives in Santa Fe, NM. She is a graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. She works as a writer, a SAG actress, a comedienne and as a puppeteer for Teatro Duende at the New Mexico Museum of Art. Miss Mayfield loves to dance the two-step, waltz, and polka, and is taking ukulele lessons. The Magical Mrs. Iptweet and Me is her first novel.

ISBN 978-1-929115-18-1
182 pp ¬… 71 black and white illustrations ¬… 7x9 ¬… Softcover ¬… $16.95
Read-to ages 6 and 7 · Read-alone ages 8 to 12
Published in 2009

Category: Multicultural - Picture book

MOONBEAM CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD
The Moonbeam Children's Book Awards are designed to honor the year's best children's books, authors and illustrators, and to support childhood literacy and life-long reading.

Pancho was a little brown dog who did not have a home. One day he arrived in a small village where everyone was preparing for St Anthony's feast day, especially the animals who worked very hard. The burro had helped plow the field where the corn was grown; the hen who laid the eggs used to make the bread; and the goat who gave the milk from which the cheese for the feast was made.
Pancho set about making a feast for the animals. At the end of the day, when everyone was gathered for the Blessing of the Animals, a little girl and her family found Pancho sitting alone and adopted him.

ISBN 978-1-929115-16-7
32 pp · 7x9 · Hardcover · $19.95
For young children
Published in 2007

Click below to order

Category: Young Readers Book

The purpose of the New Mexico Book Awards is to honor great books from New Mexico and the Southwest.

Once upon a time, in a small, dusty Southwestern town, in the middle of a busy railyard, lived a large, black dog. His name was Loco, short for locomotive. The railyard bustled with people who came from all over to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at the weekly farmer's market. The railyard was always gritty, and sometimes dust devils swirled through. One wild and windy evening, a huge, powerful dust devil swept through and changed the lives of everyone who loved Loco. This is a mystical tale that takes place in a mystical place - the City Different. And the railyard depicted is the old one before its recent improvements.

ISBN 978-1-929115-17-4
Hardcover · 32 pages
For children ages 5 to 14 and all the adults who remember the old railyard in Santa Fe
Published in 2007

Click below to order

Category: Children's Picture Book

The purpose of the New Mexico Book Awards is to honor great books from New Mexico and the Southwest.

Cactus Critter Bash, written and illustrated by singing cowboy Sid Hausman, is a howl of a book. Desert creatures join the cactus folk in a toe-tapping bru-ha-ha beneath the starry sky. El Saguaro leads the jamming Desert Quintet, accompanied by a whole hooting, rattling, waltzing choir. A detailed glossary describes Southwest animals and plants. Sheet music allows anyone who can pick out a tune to play along. A swinging CD of Sid playing guitar and singing encourages some real down home foot stomping.

"I can't imagine a child who wouldn't be delighted by Cactus Critter Bash. It's funny; the illustrations are great; and best of all it teaches children about the insects, beasts, and plants which thrive in the West's high dry deserts. Troubadour Sid Hausman's music is frosting on this colorful cake." - Tony Hillerman

"For many years at Great Expectations Academy, we have had the pleasure of working with Sid Hausman as he awakens the Muse in our students. In Sid's Songwriting Workshops our children learn to find something that they are interested in writing about, compose a poem and then put the poem to music with Sid's help.. It has always been great fun to watch their pride of accomplishment as they perform their new songs. The students have followed Sid's publishing career with great interest. They were quite sure that he wrote his previous children's book, One Bullfrog, just for them, since it is one of their favorite songs in his repertoire. They are excited about the publication of Cactus Critter Bash, another of their favorites, because it is all about our beautiful desert home. The illustrations of our desert creatures and plants are at once technically accurate and fun of fun! It is probably impossible to read this book without grinning! Teachers and students alike are looking forward to having our own Publishing Celebration for this new book with our favorite author/illustrator and songwriter on his very next visit!"
- Beth Phillips, Director Great Expectations Academy Sahuarita, Arizona

"This book tells what happens in the desert during the wee hours. The story provides a peek into the Sonoran Desert telling where the Elf Owl do-si-doed with the Western Spadefoot Toad. Fanciful illustrations bring this desert to life with a Gila monster, kangaroo rat, and, well, you will have to find out. They party to music played by the organ pipe cacti. A glossary teaches kids about desert plants and animals. Sheet music and a CD are included so that kids can join the party."
- Soledad Santiago
The New Mexican · November 17, 2006

Cactus Critter Bash is Sid Hausman's newest book, following his ever popular ONE BULLFROG (see below).

ISBN 1-929115-15-6 · ISBN 13: 978-1-929115-15-0
Hardcover · 32 pages · 8 1/2 x 11 · $21.95
Ages 2 & older
Sheet music, glossary & CD included
Published in 2006

Click below to order

T is for Tortilla welcomes the reader to the Southwest. It is an authentic no-imitations-here, regional alphabet book. From A is for adobe to Z is for Zozobra, each letter introduces the reader to a new aspect of the many rich cultures in New Mexico. Native American, Cowboy, and Spanish-American artifacts fill the pages. Detailed descriptions and illustrations show the reader a few facets of life in the Southwest. Pronunciation guide included. Would you like to read this book?

"In T is for Tortilla, Jody Alpers helps kids learn the Alphabet - and lots of other cool stuff. I like this alphabet book because it teaches me about different things in New Mexico. I learned that there is a house made of mud called adobe, and I learned that a mother sheep is called a ewe. In New Mexico a party is called a fiesta. Isn't that cool?
"This book teaches important stuff about New Mexico, and here is more stuff that I learned:

• A jackrabbit's ears are 6 or 7 inches long!
• Uno in Spanish means one.
• The Southwest is known for its beautiful sunsets.
• Luminarias are Christmas decorations of rows of brown paper sacks filled with sand and a lit candle. In the northern part of the state, they are called farolitos.
• A mesa is amountain with a flat top and steep sides.

Cosmo has lived on the island of Sonamba all of his life. As its self-appointed guardian, each day he patches the wall that keeps the sea out.

He does this while reciting the following instructions:
Hammer in a stick from the billabom bush,
Then smear it with the tar from the ticamo tree.

This works until the day the townspeople decide to honor him for his dedication.

"Out of the mouths of children's stories' authors often come memorable lines, but rarely do these lines appear to have been ripped from the... headlines. 'Let's save the blaming for afterwards, why don't we? We have a serious problem on our hands.' This quote from Cosmo: A Cautionary Tale is the response of a governing official when his small island is being flooded because someone did not do his job of keeping the sea wall from leaking. Sound familiar?
"In an uncannily prescient fable, author Alan Arkin tells a very funny story of a very old man named Cosmo whose life was devoted to keeping everyone safe and sound. Cosmo walks around the island looking for holes in the sea wall... His daily ritual concludes with hammering sticks into any holes he finds and smearing tree tar in top to secure the wall.
"Cosmo is quite content with his life, full of purpose in his chosen occupation. It is only when the politicians and the local genius decide that 'this wise and wondrous man' must be celebrated that trouble begins.
"Arkin, an actor and author, resides in Santa Fe, as does the illustrator of this book, Jon Richards. Richards is a movie critic, novelist, and editorial cartoonist. His zany illustrations of Cosmo and the cast of characters in this high-spirited tale strike just the right note. Adult readers will appreciate the irony and pointed humor in this life-imitates-art story, especially the hilarious ending." - Barbara Harrelson, Sunday, The New Mexica magazine, October 9, 2005

"Alan Arkin's COSMO is a fanciful fable of the wise wallkeeper who knew that small leaks could become big breaches in the security of the Island of Sonamba! Cosmo's cosmic vision was in knowing how to do only one (Very Important) thing.
"Insights for all ages fly from this charming story about purpose, priorities, and ounces of sticks-and-tar prevention. But this book has merit beyond its Morals -- in its sly, humorous dialogue, and Jon Richard's delightful, antic illustrations that animate each scene. Finally it's a small boy who, as if seeing a naked emperor, sees the truth and has the last word.
"This enchanting tale is almost too much fun to be a caution, and not to be missed!"
- Anna Jane Hays, a former editorial director and child development specialist for The Children's Television Network

"Alan Arkin the actor is an author too. Latest in his ventures is Cosmo, A Cautionary Tale with a subtle message well-hidden among the 40 pages. A CD includes a reading by Arkin. - Jane E Swofford, BOOKS PLUS

ISBN 1-929115-12-1
40 pp · Hardcover · $19.95
All ages, from 7 to 107
CD included of the author reading the book
Published in 2005