Lots of folks have been terrific about sharing this campaign to publish Beside the Pond: A Big Old Garden Story, and telling about the laughter and enjoyment A Year in the Big Old Garden (book 1) has brought to them. Thank you, thank you, thank you — and now is the time for a strong final push!

All the funds from this Kickstarter campaign are going to pay our brilliant team of artists, layout designer, and recording artist, and we took the brave step of setting a goal that will pay for publication in paperback, e-book, and audiobook all at once, because we believe this story will shine in all those formats.

(Ok, a little of the money will also go to printing stickers and some art prints for Kickstarter backers, but I don’t think any of the backers will mind. 😉

Because of how Kickstarter works, we have to hit our funding goal, or we won’t receive any of the pledges from all the many people who are already excited to get their copy. So if you’ve been planning to back the creation of this book–or planning to check it out and decide–don’t wait any longer! Now is your hour to act! Strike a blow for goodness, and beauty, and very, very small bullfrogs.

And just a reminder – besides an introductory video to tell about the publishing project, the Kickstarter page also has a of the audiobook reading for chapter 1 of Beside the Pond, which you can enjoy right now!

All the best,

~ James

Folks,

Thank you so much for supporting this book, and for spreading the word. Three days in, and we’re already 23% funded!

On top of that, Beside the Pond has been selected as a Kickstarter “Project We Love,” which Kickstarter says:”…Is our way of highlighting brilliant examples of creativity.”

They also say, “We’ll feature your campaign across Kickstarter,” so now this book has an even better chance of reaching families who will love it!

If you’ve been planning to back the project by pre-ordering a book or two, the first week is a great time to do it – projects that show healthy momentum early on, tend to gather the most readers in the end.

I’m really excited to share this story with you. Thank you for all you’ve done to make that possible, and please do continue to spread the word. As a little bonus fun, here’s another interior illustration by the inimitable Sydni Lee:

Have a great weekend, everyone.

— James

Hello friends,

I’m excited to tell you that my newest book, Beside the Pond: A Big Old Garden Story is now available on Kickstarter!

In my first book, A Year in the Big Old Garden, I introduced you to a garden that resembles the one at my house, and we shared adventures with the birds and other backyard wildlife who visit here. Beside the Pond takes us back for another year of seasons in the Big Old Garden, and spends most of its time, well… beside the pond! 

On the Kickstarter page you can watch an introductory video – including clips from chapter 1 of the audiobook and some sample illustrations – and meet the brilliant team we assembled to bring this book into the world. Then place a pre-order to get your copy of the book, and some exclusive rewards besides.

We need your help!

We have set our Kickstarter goal just high enough to cover the cost of producing this book in paperback, e-book, and audio-book. Because of the way Kickstarter works, we have to hit that goal, or we don’t get any of your contributions.

So if you want to hold a copy of Beside the Pond, or to share it with your favorite kids, please:

• Pre-order through the Kickstarter campaign
• Tell your friends and family
• Post/share about the Kickstarter online