Southern Illinois author, Ellen Krohne, publishes children’s picture book, “The Secret of a Mommy’s Love.”
When her older grandchildren learned to read, they asked to read the books that Okawville author Ellen Krohne had written. Krohne said, “No, they are about grief and you need to be a bit older to understand them.”
That got her thinking about writing a book that her little ones and growing families could enjoy. The book is illustrated by Martina Terzi, an Italian illustrator who currently lives in Denmark. The book was published this month.
“The Secret of a Mommy’s Love” tells the story of how Jesus grows a mother’s love when a new baby is coming to the family. Written in collaboration with her five oldest grandchildren about the birth of her youngest, the book describes the children’s journey to uncover a special secret about how a mommy’s love works.
Krohne and her husband, Bill, moved back to the Okawville area when they retired and Ellen began her writing career. Ellen Krohne served as the executive director of the Leadership Council Southwest Illinois and as a utility industry consultant and executive before her retirement in 2015.
Their grandchildren, the characters in the book, are Lincoln, Ellie and Quinn Hayes and Bill, Benny and Abigail Krohne. Krohne, who the children call Grandma Yellow, and Grandpa Bill, as well as their children, Ab and Crystal Krohne and Joy and Russ Hayes, are the other characters in the book.
The secret was first shared by Doris Krohne, Ellen’s mother-in-law, when Ellen was expecting Ab, her second child, and the book is dedicated in Doris’s memory.
Ellen Krohne is the award-winning author of Heartbroken – Grief and Hope Inside the Opioid Crisis and We Lost Her. She said she is looking forward to continuing her writing career and telling family stories that can bring hope and encouragement to her readers. Proceeds from her first two books and from “The Secret of a Mommy’s Love” are donated to Heartlinks Grief Center, a program of Family Hospice of Belleville.
Krohne said, “I hope you will enjoy the book and pass the special secret of how a mommy’s love works on to your family.” To learn more about the author, or request an author reading of the book for your children’s group or class, visit www.ellenkrohne.com or her Facebook page at Ellen Krohne author.
All three of her books are available for sale at Annette’s Flowers and Gifts in Okawville, at Family Hospice in Belleville and on Amazon.com at The Secret of a Mommy’s Love.
