by Susan Peterson

The children’s books that Barbara Winningham has written have similar themes — feeling safe, caring for and welcoming others and sharing our gifts. As a writer, she has much to draw upon from her own life experiences.

Barbara and her husband Jack are the parents of seven children, one of whom passed at age 12 from complications of spina bifida. But they also took on the role of foster parent and host parent to foreign exchange students and other children in need.

To say Barbara leads a busy life would be an understatement. In addition to family responsibilities, she is a complex manager at Christopher Homes of North Little Rock, a nonprofit human services organization. As a senior housing specialist who holds certificates from HUD and Fair Housing courses, she is passionate about safe and affordable housing for the elderly.

Barbara published her first book in 2012, “My Kitty Dog.” It is about a cat named Miss Mooch who has difficulty finding a home. Since then, she has published seven books. “The Turtle Pit” (2013) is about a baby box turtle who just keeps getting into trouble. “Chatters Nut House” (2014) tells about various animal and insect homes. “The Mud Racing Contest at a Town Called Toad Suck” (2015) is a picture book about Toadlow, an ornery toad who has to overcome life’s challenges. “Shadow Chaser” (2016) tells the story of a German Shepard who lost his shadow and how he enlists the help of his animal friends to find it. “The Little Little Tiny Tiny Small Small House” (2017) is based upon her grandmother’s life of simple living. In “Whispers at Potato Creek” (2018), children learn an important lesson about life. She used Author House and Xlibris to publish her books.

She and her husband divide their time between residences in Little Rock and her hometown of Lamar, Mo. In her spare time, Barbara is a cosmetologist. In 2006, she was a contestant in the Mrs. Missouri Pageant. Last June, she entered the Ms. Senior Arkansas pageant and won first place and Best Gown.

Her active lifestyle helps to provide ideas for more stories. But her next book, “Mr. Jellie and Popcorn Save the Day,” is a bit different. It is a book about mushrooms, and it is intended to help children identify edible and non-edible varieties. Again, she drew upon her own background, which included more than 20 years as a “farm girl.” It is due to come out this summer.

Barbara’s books are available from various online book sellers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million.