Submitted by Kate Schuman.

Local songwriter Kate Schuman and artist Wendy Dyer are pleased to announce the publication of their children’s book “Desert Rose.” Printed in partnership with Village Books in Fairhaven, “Desert Rose” is now available and can be ordered from Griffin Bay Books in Friday Harbor, Darvill’s on Orcas and Lopez Bookshop on Lopez.

Schuman wrote the song “Desert Rose” in 2019, and the book combines the lyrics of the song with Dyer’s expressive drawings to tell this rollicking tale of a cautious cowgirl in the market for a new horse. She believes she has found just the ticket in Desert Rose, a well-trained horse handed down from a rodeo pick-up rider. After a careful inspection of the horse’s conformation and attitude, she buys Desert Rose, congratulating herself on this lucky find, and prepares to ride her home. It will be a ride she and half the town will never forget!

Schuman, a longtime San Juan Island resident now living on Shaw Island, is an award-winning singer and songwriter making her first foray into book publishing. Dyer, who grew up on a houseboat in Friday Harbor, creates photorealistic colored pencil and acrylic paint art from her home in North Carolina. The two knew each other as islanders, and when Schuman reached out to Dyer about illustrating “Desert Rose,” she agreed to bring the story to life with her wonderful drawings.

Included in the book is a QR code linked to a live recording of the song on which the book is based. “Desert Rose” will retail for $19.99 and is also available from Village Books in Fairhaven and on all the major book-selling websites.