It Started With the Goat On the Boat

In the middle of the cluttered yard of a small shack sitting on a boat watching cars go by is a very happy and silly goat named Gillyander. That is curious enough to make you wonder beyond the condition of the house and yard, but there is an even more magical surprise hidden right in plain sight. A bull named Fergus lets a frequent passerby in on the secrets and adventures of the O'Dandy family. They may appear to be a poor family, but we find that they are wealthy in all that matters. This is a story that will teach young and old alike to look beyond their first impression with kindness and an open heart and expect to be surprised. A book you will wish you could climb into.

Michele Robinson's first penned children's story evolved from her many trips to pick up her grandchildren. Wanting to make the frequent trip interesting she began to make up stories about a homestead they drove past, with the premise being, "It's not what you think." She began drawing what was real and what was imagined; and from the illustrations, the story was written. Michele never outgrew her love of children's books that began in her elementary school library and expanded to the weekly bookmobile. As a photographer she has always had an eye for "not what you see, but what you don't see." Not trained as an artist, she decided to try putting the pictures in her head onto paper and her love of drawing began. The author is surrounded by the beauty of northern Vermont where she lives with her husband, her sweet beagle Drummer, her silly beagle Sam, and her persistent cat Roxie. The couple enjoy frequent visits from their children, grandchildren, and granddogs - and the blessings of good neighbors!