Gilford author and illustrator celebrate New Hampshire childhood

GILFORD — Author Veronica Tucker and illustrator Nicole Hogan, both of Gilford, celebrate the joys of growing up in the Granite State in “Home Is Here: New Hampshire Nursery Rhymes,” published by Kelsay Books.

Organized around the four seasons, the book follows a year of maple sugaring, muddy boots, summer lake adventures, autumn apples and snowy sledding days. For Lakes Region families, poems such as “Lake Winnipesaukee Song” and “Loons at Bedtime” offer recognizable scenes of life close to the water.

Hogan, a graphic designer by training and mother, illustrates the seasonal scenes that inspired Tucker’s poems.

Written to be read aloud, the collection brings rhythm and playful language to everyday experiences, from chasing fireflies to searching for missing mittens. Other selections include “Snowplow Symphony,” “Puddle Ballet” and “The Porch Light at Dusk,” finding poetry in the sounds, sights and small traditions of home.

“I hope these nursery rhymes invite children and families to notice the beauty of the outdoors and the simple joys of home,” reads her author’s note.

The book offers families a way to share local traditions and childhood memories across generations.

Tucker is a poet, emergency medicine and addiction medicine physician, and lifelong New Englander who lives in Gilford with her husband and three children.

“Home Is Here: New Hampshire Nursery Rhymes” can be ordered through kelsaybooks.com or amazon.com.

Learn more at veronicatuckerwrites.com.