The Tiniest Tumbleweed

Publisher: Reading With Peaches, LLC

Everyone feels small or inadequate at some point in their lives. The Tiniest Tumbleweed is a story written to help children learn more about what they can do to become their best selves, despite whatever may be making them feel small or limited.  The characters are two Sonoran Desert neighbors, a tiny tumbleweed and a baby house sparrow, who are both small for their age. Guided by the loving encouragement of their parents, they learn to work within their physical limitations to grow to be the best they can be, rather than measure themselves against others. As a result, they also learn how they can help one another, providing a lesson about the synergy between living things and the boundless opportunities those relationships provide. The proven psychological concepts for building self-efficacy combined with a children’s literature writing method that helps young readers believe in limitless opportunities are what make The Tiniest Tumbleweed unique. The connection between the characters in the book, a tiny tumbleweed and a sparrow, provides a fascinating look into the real-life desert relationship between tumbleweeds and birds. Following the story, a well-researched curriculum guide captivates young readers, helping them develop a deeper respect for nature.

Alex Lopez is a self-taught artist whose career initially developed in the video game industry, where he worked for SEGA, 2K Games and Konami. He has also provided artistic production and management services for Disney Interactive, Dynamite Comics and Stanford University. Lopez is proficient with numerous print, digital and multimedia genres and currently serves as an art director, building and training artistic teams.

At a time of life when most people begin to slow down, Kathy Peach decided to head for the Southwest to live near her daughter after being in Tennessee her entire life. She then followed her lifelong dreams of earning a college degree and writing a children’s book. Peach graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education and taught for the Head Start program in Phoenix. In developing The Tiniest Tumbleweed, she incorporated a method of writing children’s literature whereby readers can believe in a life of limitless possibilities, with theories from a psychologist who taught that all people have the capability to achieve. It is this strategic approach to the creation of The Tiniest Tumbleweed that makes Peach’s first book not only a delight, but an inspiration. She lives in Chandler, AZ.