Story & Verse

NOW IN ITS UMPTEENTH PRINTING! Published in English. Also printed in Spanish. 
The United Way of SE Michigan wanted a new brochure that would educate new parents on the importance of talking to, reading to and telling stories to their newborn babies and toddlers. The organization also wanted to let parents know the  milestones that they could expect their babies to reach. Instead of a brochure, we put the info into a storybook that they could take home from the hospital and read right away. The United Way is still distributing Tell Me a Story to new parents in Michigan hospitals . And I’m happy to say that I get notes telling me that it is the “favorite” book of many children.

The theme for the Make A Wish Foundation ball was, “Watery Wishes.” Make A Wish kids could have any water-filled wish granted — swim with dolphins, take a cruise, have lunch with a killer whale, whatever they dreamed of doing. The invitees received a message in a bottle asking them to save the date. Followed by a whimsical invite (left). The program contained light, watery verse and original artwork (below). And I wrote a lyrics to a song called Fishes Ball that we recorded (thank you Yessian Music) for very little money.

Invitation cover copy: I got a message in a bottle, delivered by a fish.

“You are cordially invited to a ball, by Make a Wish.”

Tracy Gallup Dolls

I took a freelance job writing a  brochure  for doll maker and artist Tracy Gallup. 

​I wrote short, whimsical verses to describe the dolls. (A few examples below.)

The catalog won a gold Mobius Award for copywriting. 

Tracy Gallup Doll brochure: Writer: Lauren Crane, Art Director/Design: Mary Bush, Photographer: Doug Aikenhead