Tommy the Tugboat Turtle (Paperback or Softback)

Friends Helping Friends

Come along with Tommy, the painted box turtle, on a sunny day by the river! Tommy loves lounging in the warm sun, taking it easy with his friends, and dreaming about tugboats. But everything changes when a big rainstorm sweeps through and washes away bobby beaver's home. Now Tommy and his friends must decide what to do. Should they stay by the river and enjoy their lazy day, or help Bobby rebuild his home?

Phil Mills, Jr. is a longtime member and past president of the Western Writers of America (WWA). He's also a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Western Fictioneers, the Oregon-California Trails Association (OCTA), and the Montana Historical Association. He's a lifetime member of the Custer Battlefield Historical & Museum Association (CBHMA). Phil is a two-time WWA Spur Award Finalist. First in 2010 for Best Western Audiobook for his historical novel Where a Good Wind Blows. That was followed in 2021 for his children's book Bandit the Cow Dog for Best Storyteller/Illustrated. Bandit the Cow Dog also received the 2021 Will Rogers Gold Medallion in Western Fiction Young Readers/Illustrated. He also has two additional children's books entitled Scooter the Cow Dog and Mud Between My Toes. The second of his "Good Wind Series" of traditional western novels is Where the Wildflowers Dance, published in 2020. His most recent endeavor (2021) was his contribution to the anthology of Western mystery short stories/novellas entitled Perilous Frontier. Phil's story in that collection "Cold the Bitter Heart" received a 2022 Will Rogers Silver Medallion in the Western Short Story category. In the summer of 2021, his short story "Bend the Blades of Grass" and his poem "Age Too Quickly Comes" appeared in the publication Saddlebag Dispatches. He was featured in the 2023 issue of True West magazine in the column "What History Has Taught Me." His experience includes being a small town newspaper editor, farm magazine editor, and work with two major advertising/public relations agencies. Phil and his wife, Sonja, live west of Fort Worth, Texas. Together, they have four children and seven grandchildren.

Colleen Erickson is an artist residing in Weatherford, Texas. She is a member of several art associations, including Weatherford Art Association, Lake Granbury Art Association, Society of Watercolor Artist, Southwestern Watercolor Society, and Woman of Worth. She has always had an interest in painting and is an award winning artist in several disciplines of art such as watercolor, acrylic, oil, and charcoal. She is a graduate of Texas Christian University with a teaching degree in Art and Computers. She taught at Boswell High School in Saginaw, Texas, and after three years left to work for General Dynamics and later retired as a logistics engineer from Lockheed Martin. Her paintings have been exhibited in Australia, and she participated by invitation in a Joint Watercolor Art Exhibition with Japanese, Korean, and U.S. watercolorists in Japan and South Korea. She has won a number of awards with her paintings and is an active member of several art associations. She is a signature member of Society of Watercolor Artists and Texas Neighbors. She continues to paint and exhibit her artwork. She mentors others in becoming artists.