Jean Huxtable-Hamersky

Jean Huxtable-Hamersky is an avid reader and has been since grade school when all she wanted for her birthday and Christmas were books. Nowadays she loves sitting in a comfy chair, holding a book in hand, turning page by page, disappearing into a story. Her professional career as a speech-language pathologist has taken her from her home state of Nebraska to Michigan, to North Dakota and Wisconsin, and she frequently used books in her work with families and children with speech and language disorders. Jean has previously published three educational resources with Thinking Publications: "Vocabulary Maps: Strategies for Developing Word Meaning," "Cartoon Cut-Ups: Teaching Figurative Language and Humor," and "Vocabulary Links: Helping Children Develop Word Knowledge."

Jean and her husband have three adult children and four beautiful grandchildren who count on a book for their birthdays and other special events.

The idea for her first children's picture book "Parker's Pumpkin" came from an experience she had with her nine-year-old grandson, Parker, who collaborated with her to create a storyline he knew other children his age would enjoy.

Her other grandchildren are providing the "seeds of inspiration" for more books to come.

In addition to reading, though, she believes there is nothing better for the body and spirit than being in nature, in her gardens and the forests and outdoors in the Great Lakes region. Jean believes in the importance of children experiencing the outdoors, whether it is in the backyard catching bugs, camping, or traveling across the country. She strives to instill curiosity, wonder, and awe about the beauty and diversity in our world for everyone.