"PEACHES", is a charming, semi-true tale of a miniature goat and her friends. Peaches was born very tiny and sickly, on a small farm where other miniature goats were also raised. She needed to be fed with a bottle, and stay in the farmhouse with Farmer Henry and Kate, his wife, until she was a little bigger and stronger.
When Peaches got a little bigger she was moved outside to a small goat- house. She still needed bottles of milk every day, plus naps, to make her gain her strength. She had two animal friends: "Hippy", a 3-legged cat, (from a farming accident), and "Roscoe", a rather large German Shepherd, (who was a rescued "pound-puppy").
Roscoe likes to run and tumble Peaches as they play. Hippy, sits atop the goat- house, and makes Peaches stay inside for her naps by batting her on the head when she tries to come out!
One day Peaches pouts because she dosen't want a nap. So, she decides to run away from home! She comes to big farm with lots of animals and decides that looks like a good place to stay. However, on the big farm all the animals are treated like...animals, not pets! Therefore, Peaches does not like it there, and can't make any friends. So she decides to run away, again!
This time Peaches comes to a forest, and it's almost dark. She is hungry and scared in the woods....and lost!
But, help is on the way! Roscoe is carrying Hippy in a basket, and they are looking for Peaches! Finally, Roscoe's good nose for tracking things brings them first to the big farm, then to the forest, and Peaches! She is so glad to see her friends! They all go home where Peaches is in time for her bottle of milk, and a nice long sleep in her goat- house. She is very glad to have her family and a good place to live. She will never, ever run away again!
"PEACHES", was illustrated by Jane McCauley, who lives in Stuarts Draft, VA. Leslie Grace Bowery, of Winchester, VA., is the author. Jane and Leslie have collaborated on two other children's books that were published in England, now out of print. Sorry you missed them! "Peaches" is the first book Jane and Leslie have had published in the USA. Most of the animals in the book, belong to Leslie, or are "friends"of hers. Several of the animals belong to Jane.
