Janey Monarch Seed

Publisher: Green Writers Press

Janey Monarch Seed is a gentle tall tale of a girl determined to make a difference for imperiled Monarch butterflies, by planting seeds of milkweeds from Texas to Quebec. It’s a long, tough journey, but one that’s filled with adventure and natural beauty, new friends and big dreams. Told in simple verse, the story will work as a gentle but lively introduction to monarch biology and ecology, emphasizing habitat needs and our role as active stewards in the natural world. Sidebars add further information and details to engage and expand children’s fascination with butterflies and other pollinators. An afterword completes the story with additional explanation of environmental threats to monarch habitat and suggestions on how to learn more and help them through wildlife-friendly gardening. The afterword also makes explicit for any readers who didn’t recognize it already that Janey’s story parallels that of a true American folk hero, Johnny Appleseed.

Julie Dunlap is an award-winning author or co-author of several children’s books, and co-editor of two nature anthologies, Coming of Age at the End of Nature and Companions in Wonder: Children and Adults Exploring Nature Together. She teaches wildlife ecology and environmental sustainability for the University of Maryland University College, and has worked with schools, nature centers, and libraries to create butterfly habitats and native plant gardens through her work as the Schoolyard Habitat Grant Coordinator for the Audubon Society of Central Maryland. Julie lives and chases butterflies with her family in Columbia, Maryland.

Dana Simson has a background is in product design, licensing, and as an artist, but her favorite pool of sunlight is writing and illustrating books. She has fourteen published books in pop-up, gift book, and picture books. Her 25-year-old company, Chesapeake East, has sold to over 700 galleries and her artwork is in collections worldwide and a few museums. She has also worked with companies through licensing of her illustrations, for design work and patterns in many products internationally. Dana is a life-long environmentalist and wrote a blog and a monthly print magazine article for many years called “Garden Warrior.” The theme is “organic gardening by someone who has absolutely no time but must have a garden no matter what.” Her current garden involves a DIY rain collection system to battle the salt-water encroachment undermining our well. Dana is thrilled to be working with Julie to launch Janey Monarch Seed.