This short story continues with a mom encouraging her children to experience fun outdoors and learning about the environment. Mom even joins in with her children’s activities at the national park in their town. The friendship between mom, Nathan and Iris with Ranger Lisa and Gob the gnome is emotional, caring and deeply rooted in concerns for the importance of maintaining the park’s trees and ecosystem.

Iris stands out in this story as she now understands how important bees are to the growth of trees, our breathing and balance of the ecosystem. Iris comes out of her shell at school and discusses what she has learned about bees and the ecosystem with her third-grade classmates to encourage support for a community garden.

Gob, Mera, and Nancy all had emotional concerns about the lack of bees in the forest. With Nathan, Iris, their mom, and Ranger Lisa, some of the bees returned to the national park, Gob and the other gnomes are happy again.

Since the 1400s, folklore has described gnomes as guardians of treasure and the protectors of Earth. Gnomes represent stability, growth, and good luck. This is the fifth book of the six-book series about Gob the gnome. The six-book series all revolve around a gnome, the protector of a local forest, who becomes friends with Nathan and Iris and helps to educate them about the importance of caring for the environment.

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Characters List

Nathan – The older brother of Iris, likes the comfort of home streaming, moving and playing video games.

Iris – The younger sister of Nathan, likes hanging around and doing whatever her brother is doing.

Mom – The mother of Nathan and Iris who is concerned about her children not getting enough exercise outdoors.

Gob the Gnome – The mythical and magical gnome from the past who lives in modern day society caring for and protecting the local forest.

Ms. Seibert – Iris’ 3th grade teacher at Hancock Elementary School.

Ranger Lisa – A Sunbrook Forest National Park, Park Ranger. She is friends with Gob and becomes friends with Nathan, his family and friends.

Mera – The mythical and magical mermaid that lives in the lakes and rivers of Sunbrook Forest National Park.

Mr. Henderson – An elderly neighbor of Nathan and Iris’ family

Press Release

New children’s book “Gob the Gnome™:  Gob and the Busy Bees” by Marilyn Slaughter, Ed.D. is released, an inspiring story that educates readers about the importance of bees in nature and how young voices can make a difference

“Gob the Gnome™: Gob and the Busy Bees” by Marilyn Slaughter, Ed.D., illustrated by Angie Neha has been released worldwide today. This enchanting 69-page picture book, the 5th in Slaughter’s Gob the Gnome™ series, invites young readers back to Sunbrook Forest National Park where Iris and her family, along with their friends Gob the Gnome, Nancy, and mermaid Mera, discover–worryingly–that the forest’s flowers aren’t blooming.

Inspired by a documentary she saw on television, Iris suspects that the neighborhood’s declining gardens are to blame for the lack of bees in the area. Alongside her mother and Ranger Lisa, Iris comes up with a plan to transform an old weed-filled parking lot into a vibrant community garden to attract bees and restore the local ecosystem. Despite a disappointing lack of support from her neighbors, the story follows Iris as she refuses to give up on her mission to help bring back the bees.

She bravely gives a school presentation to her classmates about the critical role of bees in nature that sparks new neighborhood support. Bees help plants and flowers reproduce; she tells her classmates. Plants and flowers help make the air we breathe. Without bees, the world would not be the same.

After winning new support from her classmate’s parents, Iris, mom, and Ranger Lisa get the go ahead from the city to build the garden. In just a few weeks, they manage to create a flourishing community garden, complete with 10 donated beehives, bringing new life to the forest and community.

This heartwarming story both entertains and educates, teaching children about the importance of bees to our world, the power of community, and the impact young voices can have to bring about needed change. 

Gob the Gnome™: Gob and the Busy Bees” (ISBN: 979-8-9900545-1-6) is sure to inspire families to explore nature and contribute to environmental preservation in their own ways. Available for purchase worldwide at Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, and Ingramspark, this story is a perfect addition to any classroom or young reader’s library, promising to ignite a passion for nature and also instilling the importance of teamwork. The hardcover retails for $33.99 and the ebook retails for $14.99. Review copies and interviews are available upon request.

Book Dimensions

Front cover: 8.5 in wide, 11 in tall; 8.5″x11″
Spine: 0.313 in wide, 11 in tall; 0.313″x11″
Back cover:  8.5 in wide, 11 in tall; 8.5″x11″
Full wraparound spread (front cover+back cover+spine measurements): 17.313 in wide, 11 in tall; 17.313″x11″
Glossy exterior and the interior pages are printed on premium 70lb colored paper.
Total book pages: 69 with 30 text and 30 colorful images

From the back cover:

Gob the Gnome™ – Gob and the Busy Bees

This short story continues with a mom encouraging her children to experience fun outdoors and learning about the environment. Mom even joins in with her children’s activities at the national park in their town. The friendship between mom, Nathan and Iris with Ranger Lisa and Gob the gnome is emotional, caring and deeply rooted in concerns for the importance of maintaining the park’s trees and ecosystem.

Iris stands out in this story as she now understands how important bees are to the growth of trees, our breathing and balance of the ecosystem. Iris comes out of her shell at school and discusses what she has learned about bees and the ecosystem with her third-grade classmates to encourage support for a community garden.

Gob, Mera, and Nancy all had emotional concerns about the lack of bees in the forest. With Nathan, Iris, their mom, and Ranger Lisa, some of the bees returned to the national park, Gob and the other gnomes are happy again.

Since the 1400s, folklore has described gnomes as guardians of treasure and the protectors of Earth. Gnomes represent stability, growth, and good luck. This is the fifth book of the six-book series about Gob the gnome. The six-book series all revolve around a gnome, the protector of a local forest, who becomes friends with Nathan and Iris and helps to educate them about the importance of caring for the environment.

About the author:

Marilyn Slaughter is an educator with experience teaching second through fifth grades, middle school science, and social studies. She now spends time authoring books for children and adults for engagement, learning, and entertainment. Marilyn’s first set of six children’s books all have the theme of children with their families enjoying the outdoors: exercising and having fun with family, teachers and classmates. The children learn about the environment, how to protect our forest, and how to plant trees. They meet and become friends with a magical and mythical being in the forest who cares for and protects the environment. Her goal is to provide a fun read with an entertaining way for children to learn about science. 

For more information, please contact: info@gobthegnome.com 

Majestic Children’s Books:

Majestic Children’s Books brings together a diverse array of characters and adventures that resonate with children across the globe. Each story is a treasure trove of lessons about courage, friendship, family, love, community, environment and the magic of discovery. Majestic Children’s books can be reached at: www.gobthegnome.com and at: info@gobthegnome.com