Every great children’s book is built on characters that feel real — characters who make you laugh, make you think, and make you feel like you belong in their world. I worked hard to make every resident of Hidden Oak Valley feel like someone you’d genuinely want to spend the afternoon with.

Let me introduce you to a few of my favorites:

Hickory is a 9-year-old boy with chestnut hair and bright blue eyes who lives in an old, abandoned squirrel’s nest near the top of the tallest oak tree in the valley. He is full of questions. He is sometimes nervous about what he doesn’t know but he is always, always brave enough to ask. Every child sees themselves in Hickory, because every child has felt that mix of curiosity and uncertainty when facing something new.

Mrs. Mouse wears a pink apron with flowers, pink sneakers, and a yellow head scarf. She lives at the base of the Great Oak Tree and knows everything about the forest floor. She is warm, wise, and wonderfully practical, the kind of person who always knows where to find what you need.

Mr. Rabbit grows the most delicious carrots and cabbage in the valley and loves to sing while he works. He represents the joy of simple, honest labor and reminds children that growing things is one of life’s great pleasures.

Mr. Owl is perhaps the most beloved character in the book. He is large and wise, with soft brown feathers and he becomes Hickory’s guide, carrying him on his back across the entire valley. Mr. Owl never talks down to Hickory. He asks questions. He waits for Hickory to discover things himself. He is, in many ways, the teacher we all wish we had.

Mr. Farmer is kind, rosy-cheeked, and always muddy-booted, the kind of neighbor who invites you to sit on a tree root and tells you everything he knows, just because you asked.

Each character in this book was designed to show children a different kind of wisdom: the wisdom of asking questions, the wisdom of knowing your home, the wisdom of hard work, the wisdom of observation, and the wisdom of generosity.

I hope your children fall in love with them the way I did while writing.