Join us in reading

Merry Mary and the Strawberry Surprises

BOOK RELEASED IN AUGUST!


This is a story about Betsy
who always wins first place
at the farm show
for her strawberry jam.

Her older brother, Mikey, tries hard
but never wins at anything.

She has an idea to help him win
--and nobody--
not even cousin, Katie-Lou,
knows about her plan.

Will Mikey and his Red & White cow,
Merry Mary, win their first
Junior Division banner
with Betsy's help?

Hmmmm...

UPCOMING EVENTS


* * *  SNEAK PEEK  * * *
PREVIEW

LET'S HAVE SOME FUN WHILE THE BOOK GETS PUBLISHED!

SATURDAY JULY 19th  10-6

FORT HENRY MALL
2101 Fort Henry Dr.
Kingsport, TN

MEET THE AUTHORS
BEHIND THE BOOK FESTIVAL 
KINGSPORT PUBLIC LIBRARY
FUN FEST EVENT

it all started when I painted a cow…

Dear Reader,

I was bored with everything. I couldn’t go outside to play for a long time, so I thought it would be fun to paint pictures of farm animals. I started by painting a meadow with a cow eating green grass.

But there was a problem. The cow asked to be in a pink meadow eating a strawberry! No matter how hard I tried to paint it the way I wanted it to look, the green meadow and her mouth didn’t look right. I painted the grass pink and put a strawberry in her mouth, and guess what happened? It looked really good! The cow looked so happy! And I was happy to try new things!

Another word for happy is “merry,” and “merry” sounds like the name, Mary, so I named her Merry Mary. Every day when I sat at my art easel to paint her picture, Merry Mary would tell me more about her story living on a farm.

I hope that you have as much fun writing and drawing your story adventures as I did creating this book to share with you. Maybe someday I will get to read your story. That would be awesome!

Your Writer Friend, Denise

About the Author & Illustrator

Denise Frances DiJoseph is an artist and author residing in East Tennessee. She was born and raised in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

She merited Summa Honors with a BFA in Studio Arts and a minor in Art History. Denise also earned a coursework certificate from The Children’s Institute of Literature.

She is a member of Lost State Writer’s Guild and SCWBI; Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

As an artist, she implemented and facilitated grant-funded art programs for at-risk women and girls and presented as a keynote speaker at universities and conferences.

Denise retired from owning an art school and gallery before dipping her ink pen into writing and illustrating stories for children. She enjoys learning new things and is forever grateful to be able to share her kaleidoscope of adventures with young readers.

Testimonials

❞

A funny story written in good taste. Made me hungry. The strawberry pie was delicious, BTW.

Phil Winfield

Cody & Katie-Lou’s Dad

❞

I was immediately hooked into the story while reading Chapter Two.

L. Catt Fish

Small Fry at the Berks Family Pond

❞

Great lesson about winning and losing.

Country Air County Fair Judges

Judges # 1, 2, 3, 4


Frequently Asked Questions
____________________

What kind of book is this?

Merry Mary and the Strawberry Surprises
is a Chapter Book written for ages 6-10.

Chapter Books are the next step into
independent reading. This is a BIG
accomplishment for your eager reader!

The Tin Can Kids Book Club fills
this need for families who are
searching for wholesome stories
without bullies or superpowers
involved in the storyline.

The series takes place on a
family farm where values,
kindness, and learning
lessons-in-life live among the
livestock and cornfields.

Merry Mary has ten chapters
-- a total of 100 pages --
that includes creative
crafts and activities.
 
The story contains points of
interest that parents and
children may want to
discuss or explore further
as a family or in a
homeschool setting.

 ____________________

Do you do LIBRARY VISITS
and Ice Cream Socials?

YES!
Libraries are my favorite place to be
and ice cream is my favorite vegetable,
so of course I can arrange to have a
meet & greet at participating
library and creamery locations.

Each prepaid creamery customer
receives a copy of the book,
a live excerpt reading by
the author, games,
balloon sculpture hats,
a photo booth setup,
and a special
Merry Mary Berry
ice cream treat!

LIBRARIES & CREAMERIES
please contact me at
TinCanKidsBookClub@gmail.com
____________________

Where can I buy the book?

You can purchase the book online at
Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble, and
other sites that offer children's books
through Skippy Creek Publishing.

Watch for upcoming events announced
on this website and social media
where you can meet the author
in person to get a signed copy.

social media search:
Tin Can Kids Book Club

books online search:
Merry Mary and the Strawberry Surprises
by Denise Frances DiJoseph
____________________

How can I get in contact with you? 

The best and fastest way 
is to send an email to:

TinCanKidsBookClub@gmail.com

LAUGH, LOVE, AND LEARN TOGETHER

Tin Can Kids BOOK CLUB