“Learn to Lead in Love”
Dear Gardeners, Storytellers, Readers, and Friends, Welcome to “Spider Secrets,” my monthly blog about gardens, gardening, and storytelling, with stories about mythic and modern gardens and about my own garden on San Francisco’s historic Russian Hill. We’ll also visit my favorite private and public gardens and green schoolyards. Enjoy downloads of nature stories from my […]
From my audio storybook: ‘Heaven’s a Garden in the Heart’: A tale for children in a harsh time.
In this time of cruel and greedy leaders, here is an Alaskan tale of an intrepid mother and her brave boy who rescue the Sun from an ice-hearted chief, and save their people. A story with original music that radiates courage, inspiration, and hope to delight children—and all of us—today. And here’s a follow-up activity: […]
My Favorite Reviews
My favorite reviews are often from children. These portraits of Spider Grandmother by Josephine Phandt (age 6) and her sister Antonia (age 3) made my day! Their love of stories, of nature, and of life itself shines so brightly. My storybook, Spider Grandmother’s Web of Wonders, is a collection of twenty-five traditional wonder tales illustrated […]
A Crack in the Wall: Giving Children Courage and Hope
While I was sweeping at the base of my crumbling front wall, a young boy passing by stopped to ask, “How do you get those little flowers to grow in the cracks?” “I didn’t. They just appeared,” I said. “Maybe from seeds carried by the wind or dropped by a bird, who knows? But […]