🌿 Our Books

These books are created to support children and families through both everyday growth and more challenging seasons.

From character-building stories in the Fruits of the Spirit Series, to early reader books that build confidence, to the bold identity found in The Remnant Kids, each story is written with purpose.

For those navigating deeper waters, our mental health books—including The Safety Begins Here and COPING – The Space Between Effort and Rest—offer steady, practical, and calming support.

Wherever you are starting from, these books are here to meet you there.

The Fruits of the Spirit Series is inspired by the nine Fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self‑control. Each book explores one or more of these virtues through gentle ranch stories. For blog posts, worksheets, and deeper teaching on each Fruit, visit: Grace Whitfeld https://sites.google.com/view/grace-whitfeld/home

Out on the far edge of Big Valley, where the horizon stretches wide as a promise and the wind carries the memory of old trails, the stories of this land rise like dawn over the mesas. These books are born from frontier grit and desert grace, shaped by the steady rhythm of hooves, the quiet courage of waiting fields, and the kind of hope that refuses to fade beneath a blazing Arizona sun.

In the Fruits of the Spirit Series, each tale rides deep into the heart of the High Desert — where love is a steady companion, joy is found in unexpected places, and peace settles over the valley like evening light. These are epic ranch stories, told with the sweep of a wide‑open sky and the tenderness of a hand laid gently on a young burro’s neck.

Here, in Big Valley, every virtue becomes a trail to follow. Every chapter carries the echo of something eternal. And every book invites readers — young and old — to saddle up, breathe deep, and discover that even in the wildest country, goodness still rises like the morning sun.

Book 1 of the Fruits of The Spirit Series

The Heart of Big Valley

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Book 2 of the Fruits of The Spirit Series

Joy Found in Big Valley

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Book 3 of the Fruits of The Spirit Series

Big Valley Grew Quiet

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Book 4 of the Fruits of The Spirit Series

The Waiting Fields

Buy The Waiting Fields

Early Reader Series / Read Aloud

Early Reader / Read Aloud

Burro Buddies in Big Valley

Buy Burro Buddies in Big Valley

The Remnant Kids

God Made You On Purpose, For a Purpose
A Generation Called to Stand

There is a generation rising—quietly, courageously, and set apart.

The Remnant Kids is more than a children’s book. It is a call to identity, a gentle awakening for young hearts to understand who they are, why they were created, and how they can stand strong in a changing world.

Written for children and families, this book invites kids into a deeper understanding of God’s love and purpose for their lives. Through meaningful reflection, Scripture, and simple, powerful truths, children are encouraged to see themselves as part of something greater—a remnant chosen to live with courage, kindness, and unwavering faith.

Inside these pages, children will discover:

What it means to be chosen and set apart
How to stand firm when the world feels uncertain
The beauty of worship through everyday life—singing, creating, praying, and expressing what’s in their hearts
The importance of courage, obedience, and listening for God’s voice
A sense of belonging to a generation called to live differently

This book is designed to feel like a field guide for the heart—something to return to again and again. Whether read slowly, one chapter at a time, or shared together as a family, it creates space for meaningful conversations and quiet moments with God.

The Remnant Kids is not about perfection.
It is about formation.
It is about becoming.

Because your child was not created by accident.
They were created on purpose, for a purpose—and this is just the beginning.

Buy THE REMNANT KIDS on Amazon

CARE FOR THE MIND & HEART

The Safety Begins Here: A Faith-Informed Approach to Mental Health and Suicide Prevention

Parenting Guidebook

Buy The Safety Begins Here

COPING: tHE SPACE BETWEEN EFFORT & REST

This is not a book to rush through.

It is a quiet place to land.

COPING – The Space Between Effort & Rest was written for the moments when life feels heavy, when your thoughts won’t slow down, or when you sense that something inside you is tight but you can’t quite explain why. It is not a book about fixing yourself. It is a gentle invitation to notice, to soften, and to rediscover what it feels like to simply be.

Each chapter is designed to be read slowly—one day at a time if needed—creating space between effort and rest. Through calm reflections, grounded language, and a steady voice, this book walks with you as you learn to release pressure, quiet performance, and return to a more peaceful rhythm.

This book does not assume where you are or why you’ve come. Whether you are feeling overwhelmed, searching for calm, or simply curious about a different way of moving through your days, you are welcome here.

Written from a place of personal reflection and a deep desire to understand how to truly rest, COPING offers a steady companion for anyone learning to live with less strain and more ease.

This is not about doing more.

It is about allowing less.

And in that space, something gentle begins to change.

Buy COPING on Amazon

Grace's Blog

A gentle space for parents, caregivers, and educators seeking tools, stories, and faith-filled encouragement to help children feel safe, seen, and supported.

Here you’ll find articles, reflections, and resources inspired by my work in children’s emotional well-being.

Explore Topics

Graces' Parenting Resources & Worksheets

Visit Grace Whitfeld Author Homepage

Your generosity helps us care for the animals God entrusted to us and continue serving our community with open hands and open hearts. Thank you for sowing into this work.

Welcome to the Big Valley Donkey Ranch Bookshelf — home of the Fruits of the Spirit Series, a collection of Christian children’s books, faith‑based ranch stories, and gentle emotional‑wellbeing resources inspired by real moments on a working donkey sanctuary in the Arizona High Desert. These books are crafted for families, educators, and caregivers searching for wholesome children’s stories, biblical virtues, and emotionally safe storytelling rooted in love, kindness, and hope.

Each book in the Fruits of the Spirit Series brings young readers into Big Valley — a place where burros learn trust, friendships grow during chore time, and the land itself teaches lessons about love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self‑control. These stories echo the same values celebrated by top Christian publishers and children’s ministries, making them ideal for parents searching for:

“Christian books for kids”
“Fruits of the Spirit children’s books”
“faith‑based ranch stories”
“donkey sanctuary books”
“gentle parenting resources”
“emotional‑safety books for children”
“Christian read‑alouds”

From The Heart of Big Valley to Joy Found in Big Valley, Big Valley Grew Quiet, and The Waiting Fields, each story blends frontier imagery, biblical truth, and the quiet courage found in ranch life. These books help children feel safe, seen, and supported, offering faith‑rooted lessons wrapped in dust‑gold light and the steady rhythm of burro hooves.

You’ll also find Early Reader / Read‑Aloud titles like Burro Buddies in Big Valley, perfect for young learners who love animals, ranch adventures, and gentle moral lessons.

For parents and educators seeking deeper support, the page also features The Safety Begins Here, a faith‑informed guide to children’s emotional well‑being and suicide‑prevention awareness — a resource trusted by families looking for Christian mental‑health tools, gentle guidance, and practical emotional‑safety strategies.

Every book on this page carries the heart of Big Valley:

faith, gentleness, hope, and the belief that goodness still grows — even in the wildest country.