Under New Management

In this first book of the Runt Farm series, Farmer Brunt's truck zooms away forever. While tough-guy Kitten hides in the barn loft, delighted to have the place all to himself. A day later Kitten meets The Peep, a hatchling duck with issues. Having imprinted upon and claimed Kitten as his parent, The Peep presents his paternal buddy with a surprise gift, revealing a hidden talent with reeds and weeds. When two highly intelligent lab mice, Cletus and Tooth, show up the duckling and cat welcome them into the barn. As the mice engage in vocabulary-building banter, the barn gains a herb-savvy kitchen and a workshop from which strange inventions emerge. But living together isn't always a picnic. As the multi-species group learns to make room for their differences they become a family, proving that home is where you find it.

Amanda Lorenzo is a former diversity trainer with a background in music education and computer technology. She and book editor Ceci Miller created the Runt Farm series to offer fun, diversity-friendly children's stories that encourage literacy and learning. Ms. Lorenzo lives in Seattle, Washington.Award-winning illustrator Mark Evan Walker has extensive experience in editorial illustration, fine art and scenic design. Mr. Walker studied at The Art Institute of Dallas and holds a Certificate of Arts from the Leys School at Cambridge University. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas.