Book excerpt: The little daffodil’s only dream, ever since he was just a bulb, was to grow to be tall, bright, and yellow. But during the winter, the little bulb catches a cold. When springtime finally arrives, the bulb’s brothers and sisters have all grown into beautiful, yellow daffodils, while the little daffodil is left spotted and small. The daffodil is ashamed of his red spots, and thinks himself ugly in comparison to his brothers and sisters. So when a little girl comes outside to play for the first time since winter, the little daffodil tries to hide in shame. But the little girl is looking for a special flower to give her grandmother. Does she choose the spotty dotty daffodil? Does the daffodil finally accept his spots? Featuring a heartfelt story of acceptance from author Rose Mannering, and beautiful watercolor illustrations by Bethany Straker, The Spotty Dotty Daffodil celebrates the differences in all of us—spots, stripes, or otherwise. Parents, caregivers, and teachers of children between the ages of 3 and 6 will love the beautiful illustrations and important message of being happy with who you are and accepting differences. This is a perfect gift for any young child for spring holidays or birthdays. The message is very positive, the tone uplifting, and the little spotty dotty daffodil has a gentle personality that children will be drawn to. Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.