Below are the opening paragraphs of my picture books.
Please email me at ibexartstudio@gmail.com for access to complete text.
Where are you going? I’m going to sleep
Written in verse, this bedtime story might make you look forward to going to sleep.
Written in verse, this bedtime story might make you look forward to going to sleep.
by Yael Dvora Yanich Jan 2026
There is magic sometimes when the day turns to night
And I’m ready for bed, so I turn off the light
I look out of my window, and what do I see
But the darkness outside looking right back at me
Yes the night has its secrets, the night has its ways
Things are different at night than they are in the days
We have come here from somewhere, from way beyond where
To be with each other, to smile and to care
To belong to a something, to be with a whom
To live in a house and to sleep in a room.
Why should this happen? I wish that I knew
How we happen to be, I just know that we do.
There is so much I think of, at night in my head
When I’m safe in my room and I’m tucked in my bed
As I drift off to sleep it can seem kind of strange
How some things feel solid as other things change
As I’m falling asleep, I can go to a where
And I’m not really here, and I’m not really there.
In a moment of magic, I’m somewhere instead
Of my room, in the dark, in the night, in my bed.
And the craziest thing is I really don’t know
How I get to this place. I just know that I go...
(For access to the complete text, please email ibexartstudio@gmail.com)
Painting with Starlight by Yael Dvora Yanich Jan 2026
A creation myth for our times. When a colorless planet is suddenly painted with starlight,
its inhabitants must learn to take responsibility for keeping their world beautiful.
its inhabitants must learn to take responsibility for keeping their world beautiful.
Alina was outside enjoying the cool night when she heard a low rumble. As the sound grew louder, it seemed to be coming from everywhere.
There was a giant flash of light, followed by an unbelievable sight.
She watched, spellbound, as each shimmering, white star in the sky turned into a sparkly, brightly colored star. Spectacular waves of color flowed across the night sky.
What made this even more remarkable was that she was watching this from her home on Asteroid 12.
Up until this moment, Asteroid 12 had been a world without color.
For as long as it had existed, there had never been any color in Asteroid 12: no blue skies, red roses, green parrots or orange carrots. Until now, everything had always been black, white, and gray.
Alina had no explanation for what she was seeing, but realized she had a perfect view of it all. Every color imaginable flowed and whirled and rippled across the sky.
Taking in this spectacle, her eyes filled with tears of gratitude and appreciation. Tears flowed down her cheeks and started to form small pools on the ground beneath her.
Reflecting the starlight above, they became pools of every color!
Alina noticed a moth that landed in a shallow blue pool. When it flew away, she could see that it was now the same beautiful shade of blue! She gasped in amazement.
She picked a gray flower, and dipped it into the red pool. It turned bright red! She dipped other flowers into other colors of liquid starlight until she had a beautiful, colorful bouquet!
Alina was delighted by what she saw, and had a fantastic thought. “I wonder what would happen if I tried Painting with Starlight.”
(For access to the complete text, please email ibexartstudio@gmail.com)
The Adventures of Cookie-Foo-Foo by Yael Dvora Yanich January 2024
Written in verse, this story is about the antics of Cookie-Foo-Foo, a cockatoo.
Inspired by my experience of living with a parrot for 40 years.
Inspired by my experience of living with a parrot for 40 years.
Cookie-Foo-Foo was a ‘too
Cookie-Foo-Foo, Cookie who?
A ‘too I hear you asking me
Why just a ‘too and not a three?
I can see why you’re confused
And I know why they call them ‘toos.
I’ll tell you why and this is true
A ‘too is short for cockatoo
A cockatoo’s a type of bird
Which might be something you have heard
So, what’s the fuss, you may inquire
I see birds daily on the wire
And in the trees or in the sky
I’m wondering and asking why
Cookie-Foo-Foo, can you talk?
I can, but I prefer to SQUAWK!
Because he is a cockatoo
I’ll tell you something he can do
The yellow feathers in his crest
Can stand up straight at his request
He likes it when I scratch his head
And let him snuggle in my bed
Then, something happened which I’d feared
Cookie-Foo-Foo disappeared
Please help me find my cockatoo
Named Cookie-Foo-Foo
Cookie who?
He isn’t where he ought to be
Come take a look and you will see
We looked for him but couldn’t find
We thought he might have slipped behind
The couch or table, lamp or drapes
Aha! I think I’ll get some grapes
A ‘too loves grapes and cheese and toast
He loves pistachios the most
I’ll set out all this food and see
If Cookie-Foo-Foo comes to me
It’s hard to know where he might go
I hope he isn’t in the snow
I hope he isn’t in the oven
I know he’d like to get some lovin’
Why there he is! He’s fast asleep
He was so quiet, not a peep
Instead of screaming loud and long
He hasn’t done anything wrong!
Try to be helpful, that’s my wish
I know he’ll never wash a dish
(For access to the complete text, please email ibexartstudio@gmail.com)
Seedgrow by Yael Dvora Yanich copyright 1982
A little seed worries about what type of plant it will grow into,
exploring its options before becoming a surprising type of plant.
exploring its options before becoming a surprising type of plant.
Once upon a time, there lived beneath the ground a little seed. Unlike most other seeds, this seed had no idea what kind of plant it would grow into. It had traveled so far, and had been blown through the air for so long, that it had forgotten which plant it had come from.
“What is to be my fate?” asked the little seed. “If I only knew what I was to become, I could start growing.”
One day, an earthworm passed by the seed. “Can you tell me something about ways to grow?” asked the little seed.
“All I know about is digging tunnels in the earth,” said the earthworm. “Maybe if you dig a tunnel you will find an answer to your question.”
So the little seed began to tunnel upward.
Because it was used to the warm, dark earth, it sent up a shoot to live in the sunlight.
“Excuse me,” said the shoot to the nearest plant. “Can you teach me something about how I might grow?”
“What a silly question,” replied the strawberry plant. “Look around you. Nothing but strawberry fields forever. You have no choice but to grow into a strawberry plant just like the rest of us.”
“Nonsense!” said a bird who happened to overall the whole conversation. “I have seen pumpkins growing in a field of corn, cabbages growing in a field of squash, and eggplants growing in a field of tomatoes. You could grow to be any of these plants, or you could grow into a giant baobab, an exotic palm tree, or a flowering rhododendron. The possibilities are endless.”
“This only made the seed more confused. “With so many possibilities, how will I ever decide what to become?”
(For access to the complete text, please email ibexartstudio@gmail.com)
A Recipe for Abundance by Yael Dvora Yanich copyright 2008
What gives us a feeling of abundance?
Hint: it doesn’t involve possessions.
What gives us a feeling of abundance?
Hint: it doesn’t involve possessions.
These are dark times. We are comfortable, asleep in the darkness… the darkness of lies and deceit.
The darkness whispers, “Keep sleeping… don’t wake up.” But we don’t listen. We’re done listening to the darkness.
So we open our eyes and our hearts, and although it is completely dark we take a deep breath and allow the spirit of life to fill us. Surrounded by lies, we speak the truth and the darkness lifts.
In the absence of darkness, we see we are not alone. We are all connected, conceived in love, conduits of spirit. We can see how our choices affect each other, so we choose wisely. Together, we turn our faces towards the light.
We are now able to see the dangerous, destructive lies that thrive in darkness:
You have no power
It’s pointless to try to change things
It’s not your problem
Don’t trust your sense of what is important
Success can only be defined by society
Don’t think for yourself
It’s pointless to try to change things
It’s not your problem
Don’t trust your sense of what is important
Success can only be defined by society
Don’t think for yourself
To choose the best possible path we must consider other factors besides financial profit. Happiness, satisfaction, fulfillment, and abundance can not be bought.
We decide to create a different kind of world, where we re-define the measure of a life well-lived.
Sharing what we have
Raising healthy, loved children
Helping others
Protecting the earth
Speaking out against lies and hypocrisy
Working for justice and equity
Celebrating diversity
Loving deeply
Raising healthy, loved children
Helping others
Protecting the earth
Speaking out against lies and hypocrisy
Working for justice and equity
Celebrating diversity
Loving deeply
We know that creating a new path takes time and dedication.
We acknowledge our sisters and brothers who are traveling on similar paths and invite them into our lives. We share our stories and dreams, cook fabulous meals, tell jokes, throw kisses, sing and play and dance and laugh and love.
Bake bread
Honor elders
Protect animals
Ride a bike
Practice compassion
Meditate
Play music
Build community
Honor elders
Protect animals
Ride a bike
Practice compassion
Meditate
Play music
Build community
It takes time to discover what gives us a sense of abundance. (This is time well-spent.)
Two Recipes for Abundance
1. Share my garden’s bounty with friends and neighbors. Watch them smile.
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2. Combine awareness, a sense of gratitude, and several swoons of delight.
Swirl in a ribbon of sweetness, a blossoming of hope, and a burst of hilarity.
Add frequent interludes with nature and a generous amount of love and appreciation.
It’s the beginning… not the end.
What’s YOUR recipe for abundance?
Share it @