Books by Patricia Beth Rodgers

Five-year-old Thomas has a lot to complain about. Not only has his father left him in charge of a house full of girls while fighting the war in Iraq, but Thomas also has growing pains in his legs that awaken him in the middle of the night. Then he has an added fear when he overhears his mother talking about moving far away from their grandparents' Texas ranch to live in a city called El Paso. How can they leave the ranch they love to be around city kids who don't know anything about country things? How can he leave his grandparents who need his help? And, how will his sisters Leah, Abby, and Mia, react when they find out they must move into a neighborhood on an Army base?

Life is tough when you're four years old and your daddy is a soldier fighting in a far-away war. But Abigail finds a way to be brave when her grandmothers create a dinosaur costume using magical thread. With the dinosaur snapped to her green pajamas, she promptly names him Rumpus. Although Abigail's own ears don't hear as well as other children's, she quickly discovers that only she can hear the dinosaur's deep voice. Together they begin a year-long exploration of her grandparents's Texas ranch, where their adventures include bottle feeding a baby calf, learning the proper way to call an elk, and finding a suitable tail for a tailless monkey. Singing "Jesus Loves Me" gives the two friends courage while meeting a room full of wild animals. Explaining to Rumpus that Dear Lord is always with us, even though He is invisible, helps Abigail be brave. But will her friendship with Rumpus, and her belief in the Dear Lord be strong enough to comfort Abby the entire twelve months her daddy is away?