Sample book · Soft Watercolor
The Great Autumn Fetch
A real family’s book, shared with their permission. Yours would be painted from your photos.
Mrs. G and Yonah are ready for a bright autumn adventure. But when a wild gust joins their game of fetch, the woods fill with silly surprises!
Mrs. G and Yonah are ready for a bright autumn adventure. But when a wild gust joins their game of fetch, the woods fill with silly surprises!
On Saturday morning, Mrs. G packed apples, a blanket, and one green ball. “Weekend adventure!” she said. Yonah’s huge ears popped up. Her tail went thump-thump-thump. They hurried into the bright autumn woods, where every tree seemed to be tossing a leaf party.
3
They reached a meadow that glowed like toast with jam. Mrs. G tossed the ball. Zip! Yonah sprang after it. Hop! The ball bounced once, twice—then WHOOSH! A gust bumped it high over Yonah’s nose and straight into a great heap of leaves.
5
Yonah dove into the heap. Leaves puffed up like popcorn. Mrs. G looked under logs, beside roots, and inside an empty stump. No ball. Yonah came out wearing four oak leaves on her head. She looked very proud. “Lovely hat,” said Mrs. G. “Still no ball, though.”
7
Yonah sniffed a bush. Snuffle, snuffle, SNORT! She pulled out a shiny red apple and dropped it at Mrs. G’s feet. “Round,” said Mrs. G, “but not our ball.” Yonah ate one crunchy bite. Perhaps, she decided, searching required a snack.
9
Next, Yonah charged behind a fern. Scritch, scratch, scramble! Out she came with a pinecone. “Brown and bumpy,” said Mrs. G. “Still not our ball.” Yonah flopped down like a bag of bones. Her ears stayed up, but everything else became a puddle of dog.
11
Then a round shape rolled downhill. Yonah raced after it. She pounced, skidded, and returned with…a ball of leaves stuck to a twig. One tiny mushroom sat on top like a hat. Mrs. G bowed. “Welcome, Sir Leaf-a-Lot.” Yonah sneezed. The hat flew off.
13
Mrs. G sat on a smooth rock. She used her best teacher-thinking face. “Let’s list our clues,” she said. “The ball is round. It is green. It can bounce.” Yonah sniffed the air. Mrs. G added, “And it smells a little like dog slobber.” Yonah wagged.
15
They made a plan. Mrs. G swept leaves into long rows with a fallen branch. Yonah checked each clear strip with her busy nose. They found two acorns, one blue feather, and a pebble shaped like a potato. But they did not find the green ball.
17
Just then, the wind returned. WHOOSH-WHIRL-WHEE! Their neat rows leaped into the air. Leaves covered Mrs. G’s boots. Leaves filled Yonah’s ears. Leaves landed everywhere they had just searched. For one quiet second, they stared. Then Mrs. G laughed so hard that she had to sit down.
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Yonah gave one tired sigh and flopped across Mrs. G’s lap. Mrs. G rubbed her speckled paws. “It’s all right,” she said. “Adventures can go wrong and still be good.” Yonah leaned close for a cuddle. Then her nose twitched. Sniff. Sniff-sniff. Her ears slowly turned toward Mrs. G’s hood.
21
Mrs. G reached behind her neck. Out came the green ball! It had been riding in her hood the whole time. Yonah’s ears stood taller than ever. Mrs. G blinked at the ball. Then they both sprang up. “Found it!” she cheered. Yonah answered with one enormous, happy WOOF!
23
They played fetch until the sun slipped low. Then Mrs. G spread the blanket, and they shared the last apple under a red-gold tree. Yonah curled against her, one paw on the ball. Above them, leaves drifted down like soft confetti. This time, the ball stayed put.
25For my girls. Mr. G
Inside the book
- The cast
- Mrs. G (favorite teacher!, 27) and Yonah (dog)
- The setting
- The woods and a meadow in autumn
- The dedication
- For my girls. Mr. G
