From Cow to Cone: Solving the Milk Mystery written and illustrated by Stacie Desautels

The cows on the Vanderwende Dairy Farm in Bridgeville, Delaware, are milked every day, twice a day. Lately, Queenie, Lovey, Daisy, and Shamrock have been wondering what Farmer Jimmy does with all their milk. Get to know the quirky cows and follow their exciting journey as a “busy body” bird named Wendell wings his way into their lives and solves the milk mystery! BONUS: Learn “Mooovalous” facts about cows, Crossword puzzle, Word search.  A Personal Note from the author/illustrator: I fell in love with the Vanderwende Family Farm the first time I visited. It was so charming, just like a fairy tale. I knew immediately that I wanted it to be my next book. As the manuscript came to life, I created each character with traits and symbolic references that would be fun for the reader: Wendell’s name came from the Vanderwende family name. Queenie’s personality as the bossy Holstein, reflects her role as the “queen bee” of the herd. Lovey is the sweet Jersey cow with a heart on her forehead. Daisy, the ditzy holstein, is fashioned after my dog that looks like a cow. Shamrock, the red holstein, reflects Irish traits with a shamrock on her chest. While every cow is different, I used these symbols to identify each one because Farmer Jimmy told me that they all have unique personalities. Everyone seems to share my fondness for the Vanderwendes and their ice cream. Stacie is the colorful, whimsical artist of Daisy DeZigns Art Studio in Salisbury, Maryland. Her style is fresh, magical, and full of swirling colors designed to delight the viewer. She has illustrated the unique images for the Autumn Wine Festival posters and t-shirts at Pemberton Park for 12 years. Stacie has also illustrated four children’s books: Blue Bear Finds a Rainbow and Pink Bear’s Journey by McKenzie Betts, Dayspring: Fearfully & Wonderfully Made by Indya Rennie, and The Christmas Hippo by Lisa Williams. One of Stacie’s favorite items is her inspirational line of thought for the day cards called “Mindful Moments” which comes with a desktop easel to display your card of choice. Desautels has painted murals for Oak Ridge Baptist Church’s children’s areas and the HALO Shelter. During the week Stacie is the event planner for the Wicomico Civic Center focusing on meetings, weddings, parties and church events. For custom projects or to purchase any of her products please give Stacie a call at or email staciedesautels@aol.com.