Join us in reading
Merry Mary and the Strawberry Surprises
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON AND BARNES & NOBLE ONLINE!
This is a story about Betsy
who always wins first place
at the farm show
for her strawberry jam.
Her older brother, Mikey, tries hard
but never wins at anything.
She has an idea to help him win
--and nobody--
not even cousin, Katie-Lou,
knows about her plan.
Will Mikey and his Red & White cow,
Merry Mary, win their first
Junior Division banner
with Betsy's help?
UPCOMING EVENTS
*BOOK SIGNING*
Saturday, APRIL 25
9:30-2pm
THE HOMESCHOOL EXPO
TRI-CITIES HOMESCHOOL
KACHEA & TEACH
NORTHEAST STATE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
TEC BUILDING, LOT #10
2425 TN-75
Blountville, TN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*BOOK SIGNING*
Saturday, JULY 18
9-3pm
MEET THE AUTHORS
BEHIND THE BOOK FUN FEST
KINGSPORT PUBLIC LIBRARY
2101 Fort Henry Dr.
Kingsport, TN 37664
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
it all started when I painted a cow…
Dear Reader,
I was bored with everything. I couldn’t go outside to play for a long time, so I thought it would be fun to paint pictures of farm animals.
I started by painting a meadow with a cow eating green grass.
But there was a problem. The cow asked to be in a pink meadow eating a strawberry! No matter how hard I tried to paint it the way I wanted it to look, the green meadow and her mouth didn’t look right. I painted the grass pink and put a strawberry in her mouth, and guess what happened? It looked really good! The cow looked so happy! And I was happy to try new things!
Another word for happy is “merry,” and “merry” sounds like the name, Mary, so I named her Merry Mary. Every day when I sat at my art easel to paint her picture, Merry Mary would tell me more about her story living on a farm.
I hope that you have as much fun writing and drawing your story adventures as I did creating this book to share with you. Maybe someday I will get to read your story. That would be awesome!
Your Writer Friend,
Denise
About the Author & Illustrator
Denise Frances DiJoseph is an artist and author residing in East Tennessee. She was born and raised in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Meriting Summa Honors with a BFA in Studio Arts and a minor in Art History, Denise also earned a coursework certificate from The Children’s Institute of Literature.
She is a member of Lost State Writer’s Guild and SCBWI; Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
As an artist, she implemented and facilitated grant-funded art programs for at-risk women and girls and presented as a keynote speaker at universities and conferences.
Denise retired from owning an art school and gallery before dipping her ink pen into writing and illustrating stories for children. She enjoys learning new things and is forever grateful to be able to share her kaleidoscope of adventures with young readers.
Testimonials
❞
A funny story written in good taste. Made me hungry.
Phil Winfield
Cody & Katie-Lou’s Dad
❞
I was immediately hooked into the story while reading Chapter Two.
L. Catt Fish
Small Fry at the
Berks Family Pond
❞
Great lesson about winning and losing.
Country Air County Fair
Judges # 1, 2, 3, 4
DAYTIME TRI-CITIES
WJHL-TV INTERVIEW ON YOUTUBE
Frequently Asked Questions
____________________
What kind of book is this?
Merry Mary and the
Strawberry Surprises
is a Chapter Book
written for ages 6-10.
Chapter Books are the next step
into independent reading. This is
a BIG accomplishment for
your eager reader!
The Tin Can Kids Book Club fills
this need for families who are
searching for wholesome stories
without bullies or superpowers
involved in the storyline.
The series takes place on a
family farm where values,
kindness, and learning
lessons-in-life live among the
livestock and fields.
Merry Mary has ten chapters
that includes creative
crafts and activities.
The story contains points of
interest that parents and
children may want to
discuss or explore further
as a family or in a
homeschool setting.
____________________
Do you do LIBRARY VISITS
and Ice Cream Socials?
YES!
Libraries are my favorite place to
be, and ice cream is my
favorite vegetable, so of course
I can arrange to have a
meet & greet at library and
creamery locations.
Each prepaid creamery customer
receives a copy of the book,
a live excerpt reading by
the author, games,
balloon sculpture hats,
a photo booth setup,
and a special
Merry Mary Berry
ice cream treat!
LIBRARIES & CREAMERIES
please contact me at
TinCanKidsBookClub@gmail.com
____________________
Where can I buy the book?
Amazon LINK
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1962561844
Barnes & Noble LINK
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/merry-mary-and-the-strawberry-surprises-denise-frances-dijoseph/1148379945
Watch for upcoming events
announced on this website and
social media where you can meet
the author to get a signed copy.
social media search:
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
LIKE & FOLLOW
FACEBOOK LINK
https://www.facebook.com/TinCanKidsBookClub/
INSTAGRAM LINK
https://www.instagram.com/tincankidsbookclub/
books online search:
ISBN: 978-1-962561-84-6
Merry Mary and the
Strawberry Surprises
by Denise Frances DiJoseph
____________________
Where do the book proceeds go?
Book sales help fund
project grants for
agriculture and dairy youth.
____________________
How can I get in contact with you?
The best and fastest way
is to send an email to:
Denise DiJoseph c/o
TinCanKidsBookClub@gmail.com
____________________
Where is the free downloadable .pdf Study Guide?
Right here!
LAUGH, LOVE, AND LEARN TOGETHER
Tin Can Kids BOOK CLUB
© Copyright 2025 Denise Frances DiJoseph
All Rights Reserved