top of page
Front cover Viglione Spooky Tale Nov 1 .
FrankCover.png

The Books

​​

Honey Girl Books and Gifts publishes illustrated books that bring new stories, scholarly discoveries, and updated classics to younger readers.  

Illustrated by young and up-and-coming artists, these books are unique collectors' items as well as a good read. 

​​

NEWS!

​

Angelina and The Stranger's Name is available!  42 pages, color illus,

NOW only $19.99.

Written by Sabrina Ferri of Rome, Italy, illustrated by Luisa Galstyan of Yerevan, Armenia, and with commentary by Stefania Benini of Lancaster, PA.

With its feminist angle on a diabolical legend, this book will be a must for clever children everywhere...

The Italian original is available too: Angelina e il Nome dello Sconosciuto! ​​​​

​​​​​

​​​​

​​​

​​

​​

​​

​​

​​​​

​​​

​

​​

​

​

​

​

​​

A Spooky Tale of Spring, or How the Grumpy Mom Got her Cheer Back, illustrated by Kiera Highsmith(Hint: it's a retelling of a favorite Dickens novel, with a Ghost Cat who visits her former owner and ushers in a night of useful terrors....). With historical and contextual notes by Dickens scholar, Chris VandenBossche, and animal rights activist, Wendy A. Wolfe. 50% of proceeds from A Spooky Tale of Spring will be

donated to Homeward Bound Animal Welfare Group in Mishawaka, IN.

​​​​​

 Available now for only $19.99!

Also at Pegasus Book Exchange in West Seattle, on Amazon, bol.com for Europe, 

and other online sites!

​​​

A Spooky Tale gets an "A"!

​​​

"Laughter heals, and this lovely book kept me laughing. 

It's a wonderful tribute to Dickens's Christmas Carol

by extending it to animals. Our pets come out ahead here, knowing things it would be best for we adults to learn and take to heart.

And as we laugh and chortle, we heal."

​

--Murray Baumgarten, Founding Director The Dickens Project, UCSC 

​​

​

​​

Our first book, The Frankenstein of the Apple Crate, illustrated by Karen Neis, was ranked by Amazon as #1 New Release in Children's European Historical Fiction, and #1 New Release in Children's European Biography (November 2018)! 

​

The Frankenstein of the Apple Crate: A Possibly True Story of the Monster's Origins is a ghost story, a Gothic novel for youngsters, and a work of alternative history. It shows how Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, then age 19, could have got the inspiration to write her masterpiece Frankenstein during that fateful night on the banks of Lake Geneva. It makes a leap of imagination into the past to unearth how the girl Mary could have read a French tale, published in 1790, that features an inventor named Frankénsteïn who makes a man-sized robot. Could the secret have been left behind in the papers of her mother, the amazing Mary Wollstonecraft?

​​

Possibly true (and possibly not!), The Frankenstein of the Apple Crate was inspired by archival research, and includes historical and biographical notes by scholars of the French Revolution, Mary Shelley, and the thrilling Frankenstein.

​​​

The Frankenstein of the Apple Crate: A Possibly True Story of the Monster's Origins, by Julia Douthwaite Viglione, illustrated by Karen Neis, with biographical and historical notes by Eileen Hunt Botting and Greg Kucich.

35 pages, 33 color illus, ages 8 and up

Available NOW for only $19.99! 

Also available at Seattle's best independent bookstores: Pegasus Book Exchange and Third Place Books in Ravenna.

​​​

Readers rave about The Frankenstein of the Apple Crate:

The story is fascinating, and the illustrations capture the haunting mood so well."
--Liz, Mishawaka, IN

​

The kids loved the book!
--Kathleen, Seattle, WA

​​

French and Spanish versions!

Le Frankenstein du cageot à pommes, ou comment le monstre est né,

de source (presque) sûre, translated by Vincent Jauneau

Available now in hardcover on Amazon.fr

​​

El Frankenstein de la caja de manzanas: 

Una historia posiblemente verdadera de los orígenes del monstruo,

translated by Jeremy Llanes Dela Cruz

Available now in hardcover on Amazon!

​​

Coming in Spring 2025: 

Five Seattle Stories by Seattle Kids

​​

Tales written and illustrated by 28 local children ages 7-12, with the help of local authors in a West Seattle workshop, over five terms of collective effort. Each chapter follows the plot of a classic fairytale or story from the USA, China, France, Scotland, or Martinique; we actually rewrote the originals in our own language. Set in Seattle city streets, parks and waterways, and dealing with universal struggles we all share, these tales will surprise you with their wit, humor, and relevance. As if they happened right next door!

And they will give you hope.

 

Table of contents:

1.Finding a Home: Family Along the Way

2. A Climate Anxiety Thriller: Nightmare at Green Lake

3. The Survival of the Cleverest: The Trickster of Puget Sound

4. Making Friends Despite the Odds: The Troll of the West Seattle Bridge

5. A Cautionary Tale: The Good, the Bad and the Cat

​​

Advance reviews are looking good!  
 

Five Seattle Stories by Seattle Kids is a true testament to imagination and collaboration from some promising young authors.  While there may be a hint of the original folk tale in each one of the stories, they are creatively altered and woven into Seattle itself resulting in a new and refreshing retelling of each tale. Well done to Julia’s editing and all of the authors who contributed to these delightful stories.” -- Dan and Joanie Jacobs - Admiral Neighborhood Association, Seattle, WA
 

"I've enjoyed reading each one and being transported to the different areas of Seattle so I am sure it will bring joy to many others.”  --Kirstyn, Denver, CO
 

“Very sweet illustrations and stories that tug at my heart.”  --Joyce, New York, NY
 

“Heartfelt congratulations to you and to your merry band of authors!”  --Kate, Atlanta, GA
 

​​​​​​​

78356654 cover.jpg

A dangerous pact with a mysterious being and a brave heroine who takes her fate into her own hands. A picture book that celebrates girl power, the importance of literacy, and the love of books.

cover it ad and ebook (3).jpg
October at 1207 Riverside Drive.jpg

Our beloved old house on Riverside Drive 

in South Bend, IN: the inspiration for 

A Spooky Tale!

front cover.jpg
bottom of page