The Food Lady Books
Welcome to the World of The Food Lady
Inspired by the birds and woodland animals that visit author Ann Miles Sievers’ own backyard, The Food Lady books bring young readers into a lively little community where deer, squirrels, birds, raccoons, skunks, and other neighborhood visitors each seem to have personalities of their own.
What began with one backyard feeding place has grown into a continuing world of stories about friendship, kindness, belonging, sharing, faith, courage, and the unexpected adventures that can happen right outside the window.
Welcome to the World of The Food Lady
A story about kindness, belonging, and making room for someone new.
Every morning, the Food Lady’s backyard becomes a gathering place for birds and small woodland animals looking for something to eat.
It is their familiar place—until a hungry young deer arrives and quietly asks whether she can share their food.
Some of the regular visitors immediately worry. She is much larger than they are. What if she eats too much? What if there is not enough left for everyone else?
As suspicion and selfishness begin to divide the little community, an older raccoon named Coonie helps the animals look beyond their fear and remember what generosity really means.
When the Food Lady finally appears, her simple welcome helps restore peace to the backyard and reminds everyone that kindness and respect can make room for someone new.
The Food Lady introduces readers to the backyard world that inspired Ann Miles Sievers’ continuing series and many of its recurring woodland characters.
Themes:
Kindness
Belonging
Sharing
Empathy
Friendship
Respect for Animals
For readers ages 4–8
The Food Lady and Bucky
A Christmas story about sharing, dignity, and caring for someone who needs a little more help.
Christmas morning has arrived, and snow has covered much of the food the woodland animals normally find. Luckily, the Food Lady has left apples, nuts, seeds, and other treats outside for her neighborhood visitors.
But then there is Bucky.
Bucky was once a strong buck known among the animals as the King. Now he is older. His antlers are gone, one hoof is badly swollen, and walking has become difficult. Some of the squirrels begin to worry that a deer as large as Bucky will eat too much and leave very little for everyone else.
As the animals argue over food, their conversation turns to Christmas, Jesus, generosity, and what the holiday is really supposed to mean.
They eventually discover that sharing means the most when someone genuinely needs their help.
Bucky may no longer look like the powerful deer he once was, but to the animals who learn to see him differently, he is still a King.
Themes:
Christmas
Sharing
Christian Faith
Christian Faith
Compassion
Aging
Dignity
Friendship
Community
For readers ages 4–8
The Stories Continue
The backyard world of The Food Lady continues beyond the two published books.
Ann Miles Sievers is still writing about the familiar animals, personalities, friendships, disagreements, and surprises that make up this unusual little woodland community.
Stories in Development
The Food Lady and the Hawk
A new woodland adventure bringing back familiar characters including Rusty, B.B., Jerome, Lilly, and the Food Lady while introducing new visitors to the neighborhood.
Set during autumn, the story brings danger, courage, humor, and an unexpected woodland hero into the Food Lady’s backyard.
Currently unpublished.
The Food Lady and the Poisoned
Another story from the continuing Food Lady world.
Ann has begun developing both the story and illustrations for this upcoming title.
Currently unpublished and in development.
The Food Lady Goes Away
What happens to the woodland neighbors when the Food Lady is not there?
Ann’s newest story introduces another member of the household—the Food Man, inspired by her husband, Tom—who may soon earn a very different nickname from the animals:
The No Food Man.
Currently being written.
One Backyard. Many Stories.
The characters may disagree, compete for food, get frightened, become curious, or find themselves in trouble—but each story returns to the same little world surrounding the Food Lady’s home.
And as long as the animals keep showing up, there may always be another story waiting to be told.