"What are you doing Don Pancho?"

"I'm listening to the earth sing, mi'jita."

So begins the hauntingly lovely conversation between a little girl and her friend, the village elder, Don Pancho about the wonders of nature.  The whimsical notes of the "songs" the earth sings will tickle the imagination, and delight children as well as adults.  The implicit lesson about paying attention to our connection with nature, getting so quiet you can hear a "star's lullaby to the trees" is gently cloaked in lyrical word pictures that invoke the southwestern flavor and landcape that inspired the story.

Explore "Can You Hear The Earth Sing?", and the other Kubabi Books

Explore

All of these whimsical stories are meant to be read and read aloud. Words have been used to capture not only the look of nature, but the feel, the sound, the texture and the rhythm of nature. Photographs are one way of painting nature. Words are another. These words have been chosen to allow you to step into a moment of nature’s whimsy. They are Mother Nature’s gifts to the children of the world, each and every one of us.
  • Moonbows and Other Wonders
  • Moonbows tells of the Dragon Earth Mother's sadness when she finds out that children are afraid of the night, never go outside, and have never seen a shimmering night sky.
  • Isle of Makai
  • The Isle of Makai is a whimsical tale of a grumpy, but kind King who banishes colors from his island kingdom, and how young Sophronia and her beautiful pygmy goat Tinker help the King
  • Where is My Twinkle
  • Where Is My Twinkle is a story about what happens when a little girl has one of those bad days and loses her happy Twinkle.
  • Butterfly Dreams
  • The book that started all the other books. An adult story poem that even the kids like read aloud.
Testimonials

Maryna's touching words will draw you and your children into the world of nature. When I read Can you Hear...I was immediately transported into the past, and hours spent in the woods listening and creating my own mysterious childhood world.

Mary Jo Niessen
www.delicatepawsllc.com

As a retired educator and life long advocate of the POWER of reading,  I applaud the use of the World Wide Web as a tool to entice and encourage our youth to read and to expose them to the WONDERS of the world in which they live.

M.A. Studley Vosburgh

I am a retired registered nurse who had the privilege of working with children and parents most of my professional life. This is a wonderful story (Can You Hear the Earth Sing). It
resonates with me as this is how I listen to God. I think we all can hear with more than our ears if we learn to be still.

Mary Ellen K.  -- Nurse

"Kubabi books in general are an excellent read! The writer has a gift of story-telling from a life well lived, and the tone and prose resonate with me having grown up a country kid more connected to nature, now living in the day to day hectic world of today. I love the imagery of the words and pictures and my kids and I love reading them together at bedtime!"

Ian W.  -- IT Professional formerly a rancher's kid

Part poetry, part story and part life lesson. I loved reading this. It was meditative and thoughtfully written. It was beautiful and gentle. The only part I didn't like was when it was over. A truly sweet story that I wish was around when my children were little. Well done Maryna. Very well done.

Babette H.  -- Dog trainer, writer, Realtor

Maryna paints pictures with words. Don Pancho's conversation with the little girl celebrates the magic, wonder, and beauty that comes with being still and experiencing nature. It reminds me of when I was a little girl taking long walks in the woods with my big sister, who was ever so patiently showing me the many beautiful mysteries that are outdoors. A must for any little (and big!) person thirsty for a meaningful relationship with the natural world.

Su M.  -- Executive Director Non-Profit

I enjoyed this story for many reasons; the first being that the child is curious and the elder is kind and patiently guiding. Second, the multiple ways Don Poncho describes things will resonate with different readers. Nature has been important to me since I was a small child. I feel, especially given how quickly kids are forced to grow up these days, that we need to encourage them to slow down, breath, and never lose their connection to the earth.

Melanie B. -- Business owner, consultant

"Can You Hear the Earth Sing" is a beautifully illustrated story that reminds children to stop the noise of today's world and listen to the quiet ways the earth will speak to them.

Jeanne H. -- Nurse and Dog Trainer, former President of NADOI (National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors)

Maryna's ability to convey the beauty and importance of our connection to the world of nature is incredible. As our society moves further away from the natural world, Maryna's writing gains importance. We must share our connections with the world.

Pam L. -- Editor, Dogs Outside the Ring