Hidden Gems Among the Pages
Real-life experiences have been the content that author, Stephanie Parker, draws on for her stories. She often bases characters off family members and will hide meaningful items within illustrations as a nod to important people in her life.
The main characters, the four silly goats, are real goats and were the inspiration for Silly, Silly Goats. Josie, Luna, Ivy and Mila have brought so much happiness to the author's life that she wanted to share that happiness with her readers.
Enjoy some of the hidden gems of Silly, Silly Goats!
Farmhouse
The house featured on the first page is the author's grandma and grandpa's farmhouse in Michigan. It holds special memories of her childhood and will always be near and dear to her heart.
Silly, Silly Goats Barn
The barn that you see in some of the illustrations was based off of the goats' real barn.
Squirrels and Cardinal
These secondary characters can also be seen in the author's first book, My Chemo Fairy. They are meaningful to her life and give special meaning to the illustrations they appear in. You will also see a nod to My Chemo Fairy on the last page of the book. (Hint, look on the bookshelf ladder)
market illustration
The author's grandma and grandpa make a cameo appearance on this page. Making their living on a fruit farm and selling their fruit at markets in the summer, this is a nod to their lives and the memories that it holds. This illustration features their variety of apples and their homemade apple cider. You will also see apples throughout the book as well as a plate of grapes and pears in the picnic illustration.
Featured Characters
Mackey
Brandon
Mackey
The author's family dog makes an appearance in a couple of different illustrations.
Connor
Brandon
Mackey
The author's oldest son can be seen on a paddle board in the lake scene.
Brandon
Brandon
Brandon
The author's middle son is floating on a tube in the lake scene.
Kyle
Brandon
Brandon
The author's youngest son is scuba diving in the lake scene.