“Making beach memories one story at a time.”
Rhyming picture books filled with beach days, curious creatures, family memories, and the small acts of kindness that make a place feel like home.
Meet her stories
Rain becomes a reason to imagine. Painted birds carry kindness through town and Christmas joy through the night. Sea creatures turn counting into play. One little girl’s first wave becomes a memory she carries home.
Hope’s rhyming picture books invite young readers to listen, join in, look closely, and carry a little bit of the coast home with them.
Two children dream of sunny-day adventures while trying to recreate their favorite beach activities indoors. A lively repeating refrain makes this story easy to join and fun to read aloud.
A mysterious artist leaves bright, one-of-a-kind birds around Southport, Oak Island, and beyond. Their cheerful message encourages every reader to spread kindness where they live.
Pelicans, dolphins, sharks, sea stars, turtles, and laughing children turn numbers into a day of discovery, from the first cheerful sun to the final winking moon.
Ruby’s first wave, first sandcastle, and first treasures become a lifelong memory. Years later, she returns to the coast and shares her own stories of the ocean’s glories.
Southport’s Gooney Birds become Christmas ornaments, then fly from the town tree and hide in plain sight. The joyful search brings neighbors together and shows how small acts of light can spread joy.
Come meet children’s author Hope Taylor Spencer at local markets, festivals, book signings, open houses, and special events. Stop by to say hello, browse Hope’s coastal picture books, and have your books personally signed.
Hope is always popping up at markets, bookstores, schools, libraries and community events along the Carolina coast. Check back soon to see where she’ll be next.
Invite Hope to an EventHope Taylor Spencer’s children’s books are available at several wonderful local shops and attractions. Stop in, browse, and look for your favorite Hope Taylor Spencer story.
Looking for a particular title?
Selection may vary by location, so you may want to contact the shop before making a special trip.
An anonymous artist and a few friends began leaving colorful birds around town as free surprises. Each one was painted on found or donated wood. Each one was different. Each one carried the same idea: spread kindness and share cheer.
The game is inspired by Hope’s book and the true local story reported in Life in Brunswick County.
Each round brings one new group from the shore or sea. Tap every creature as you count aloud. When you find them all, the tide brings another surprise.
Hope grew up in a military family and lived in eleven states and Puerto Rico. Wherever her family moved, books were steady companions and windows into the world.
As an elementary teacher, her happiest classroom moments came from reading aloud and watching children return to a favorite book again and again. Summers on the North Carolina coast with her grandparents inspired a dream of writing beach stories of her own. Today, she lives near that same coast.
Rhymes and repeating language help children anticipate what comes next and become part of the performance.
Beach animals, handmade birds, shells, waves, and small visual details reward another look.
Each story leaves a simple invitation: imagine, count, create, remember, or brighten someone’s day.
Draw with a mouse or fingertip. Like a real mark at the water’s edge, this one stays only for the moment and is never saved.
Interested in a classroom visit, a library program, or a signed book event in your store? Have a question about Hope’s books? Talk with Hope on Facebook.
Talk to Hope