By Madison Butler
Ever wondered what goes into a children's book before it lands on your nightstand? Here's an honest look at how Mangrove Moon Books are made.
IT STARTS WITH A REAL PLACE
Every Mangrove Moon story begins in the Bahamas — the turquoise water, the night sounds, the animals that live here. Our Bedtime Tales series features one Bahamian or Caribbean animal per book. We believe kids deserve stories rooted in a real, vibrant world — not generic anywhere-land.
STORIES WITH SOMETHING TRUE INSIDE
Each book pairs an original adventure with real science. A book about a glowing bay? There's real bioluminescence behind it. Vanishing flamingos? Real conservation. We think "educational" and "magical" should never be opposites.
CHARACTERS KIDS CARRY WITH THEM
Milo, an 8-year-old who sees sounds as colors. His grandmother Nana June, a retired conductor losing her hearing. Captain Echo, a parrot who misquotes everything. These aren't flat cartoon cutouts — they're a family, with warmth, humor, and heart. Across 20 books, they solve sound-mysteries while a bigger story — the Hush — unfolds around them.
ART THAT INVITES KIDS IN
Our illustrations are bright, saturated, and full of life. Every cover hides a little Easter egg (see if you can spot the hermit crab), because we think books should reward curious eyes. And when kids asked for more, we listened: every Sound Catchers story now has its own 24-page coloring book, with the same characters in bold, easy-to-color scenes.
WRITTEN BY MADISON BUTLER
Every Mangrove Moon book is written by Madison Butler, who pours her heart into stories that respect children's intelligence and nurture their wonder. No phoned-in plots, no talking down — just honest, beautiful storytelling.
MADE WITH CARE, PRICED FOR FAMILIES
We keep our prices family-friendly on purpose: $4.99 per storybook, $6.99 per Maya mystery, $12.99 per coloring book. Great children's literature shouldn't be a luxury.
WHY ORIGINAL MATTERS
Everything we publish is 100% original — our stories, our characters, our art. When your child falls in love with Milo or Maya, they're meeting someone no one else invented.
THE DETAILS WE OBSESS OVER
The rhythm of a read-aloud sentence, the exact shade of turquoise in a bay illustration, the hidden hermit crab on every cover waiting to be found. A book that rewards a second, third, and tenth reading is a book that earns its place on the shelf.
WHAT'S NEXT
New series, new characters, new adventures — all from the same little house brand with a big love for bedtime.
COME BROWSE THE SHELF: mangrovemoonbooks.myshopify.com — Bedtime Tales, the Sound Catchers, Maya's Island Mysteries, and our brand-new coloring book collection.