Me & Lavender - by Melody C Peugh (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

When Lavender the elephant drops into Ella's bedroom to play, Ella explains that Mommy needs them to stay tidy for an afternoon tea party. But that's a big ask for a little kid. Quiet activities soon escalate to exciting ones - ending in a magnificent mud-pie mess! Will the playful pair get clean in time for tea?

Bursting with colorful, adorable art, Me & Lavender is a delightful, debut picture book that celebrates the joy of pretending and begs to be read aloud. Ella and Lavender's whimsical antics and loving friendship will remind readers of Christopher Robin and Pooh, and little listeners may begin to imagine their own favorite stuffed animal as a life-sized friend.

Review Quotes

Featured in Publishers Weekly Spring 2025 Children's Preview

"Farb effectively evokes an idyllic suburban setting, from the well-ordered garden to the prim and proper tea party....Peugh makes use of upbeat rhyming text that pairs well with the artwork.... A sweet tribute to youthful creativity." --Kirkus Reviews

"All the more impressive when considering that Me & Lavender is author/storyteller Melody Peugh's first picture book, and that it is superbly visualized by artist/illustrator Eve Farb... [a] delightful, kid friendly, and fun from cover to cover picture book..." --Children's Bookwatch, Midwest Book Review

"The illustrations are beautiful and complement the story very well. Children can relate to the narrative and can enjoy the humour in it. The artwork is adorable with soft lavender hues and portrays the friendship of a little girl and her imaginary soft elephant." --Aruna Shekar, award-winning author and educator

"The striking illustrations pop off of the pages to make the words even more engaging and real.... You'll need lots of time for this gorgeous read-aloud because there's so much to look at." --Barbara Gruener, B.S., M.S., M.S., speaker, educator, author, coach

"This is such a cute book! The rhythmic text is catchy and fun to read aloud and the digital illustrations are big, bold, and brilliant.... An especially good choice for libraries hosting preschool story times!" --Marcia Strykowski, Writers' Rumpus

About the Author

Melody C. Peugh (pronounced Pew) worked at Hallmark Cards and Sears Roebuck, was a Girl Scout leader and 4H leader, and enjoys gardening, hunting fairies with her granddaughters, and broadening young minds. She lives in Peabody, KS, and this is her first picture book. Eve Farb is a psychologist whose passion is drawing. She has illustrated multiple picture books in Russian, as well as the well-received Clovis Keeps His Cool. See Eve's work on Instagram @eve_farb.