The Singing Mouse is written by Barbara J. Ness and illustrated by Donna Merchant.  Young readers will be enchanted with this delightful story written in verse and the richly illustrated animal characters.  It is a story you and your children will read again and again!

The book tells the story of a lonely little mouse with a talent for singing.  He is encouraged by an unexpected visitor to entertain guests with his impressive repertoire and soon discovers the joy of sharing his unique gift with new friends.

Barbara J. Ness, a graduate of Wartburg College in her hometown of Waverly, Iowa, has had a passion for creative writing and storytelling since childhood. After college, she pursued a career as a teacher and a librarian, and spent more than 10 years sharing her love of writing and literature with hundreds of kindergarten, first and second grade students.

The Singing Mouse is Barbara’s first published story and is the culmination of an idea based on the memory of an actual singing mouse that had taken up residence in her childhood home. 

Although she was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) in 2004 and continues to face many challenges, Barbara remains energized and focused on her craft. Her hope is that her own writing will allow children to experience the kind of spontaneous and joyful pleasure she so often saw mirrored on the faces of her young students as she read to them.

Barbara lives with her husband Stan in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They have four children and eleven grandchildren.

The Singing Mouse is illustrated by Donna Merchant.  Donna grew up in Powhatan, Virginia and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.  She taught art to children in kindergarten through middle school for nine years at a private school in Fairfax, Virginia.  The Singing Mouse is Donna's second publication with 2DonnBooks.  Her first, Goblins Will Be Seen, a Halloween story set in nearby Occoquan was printed in 2005. Currently, she enjoys being a stay-at-home mom, while continuing to pursue new creative projects with 2DonnBooks.

The Singing Mouse is Donna’s first collaboration with writer Barbara Ness. The inspiration for the illustrations comes from her life-long love of animals.                

Donna lives with her husband Paul and her four-year-old son Benjamin in Dale City, Virginia.

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