FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wisconsin Educator and Author Kari Hanson Introduces Life on a Vine, a Heartwarming Children’s Book Rooted in Nature, Family, and the Magic of Fall
Kari Hanson’s debut picture book invites young readers to experience the quiet wonder of a pumpkin’s journey from seed to harvest without spoilers, offering families, teachers, and librarians a gentle seasonal story with lasting educational value.
Westby, WI - May 25, 2026 - Children’s author and retired educator Kari Hanson announces the release of Life on a Vine, a beautifully illustrated picture book that brings young readers into the heart of a pumpkin patch through a gentle, nature-centered story. Told from the perspective of a pumpkin, the book follows the quiet wonder of growth, change, and seasonal discovery while preserving the simple magic children find in the natural world.
Designed for families, classrooms, libraries, and fall-themed reading programs, Life on a Vine blends storytelling with early learning concepts in a way that feels warm rather than instructional. Through vivid imagery and child-friendly language, the book introduces themes of patience, nature, pollination, growth cycles, weather, harvest traditions, and the beauty of seasonal change.
For Hanson, the story is deeply personal. A Wisconsin author and former teacher, she spent 34 years working with middle school and high school students, developing a lasting appreciation for the ways books can spark curiosity and connection. Her love for children’s literature has continued into her life as a grandmother, where read-aloud moments remain close to her heart.
The inspiration behind Life on a Vine also comes from Hanson’s own family memories. Kari and her husband, John, live on a Century Farm in Wisconsin, where nature has always been part of daily life. When their three sons were young, the family spent summers raising pumpkins and selling them from their front yard each fall. Those years of planting, growing, harvesting, and sharing helped shape the heart of the book.
The book is especially timely for educators and librarians planning autumn reading selections, pumpkin patch units, nature lessons, harvest activities, or seasonal storytime events. It can also support family conversations about where pumpkins come from, how plants grow, why bees matter, and how the changing seasons shape the world around us.
With Life on a Vine, Kari Hanson enters children’s publishing with a story that is gentle, educational, and emotionally sincere. It is a picture book for children who love pumpkins, families who treasure seasonal traditions, and adults who want to help young readers see wonder in the natural world.
About the Author
Kari Hanson is a Wisconsin children’s author and retired educator. She taught middle school and high school students for 34 years and now enjoys reading to her three grandchildren. Kari and her husband, John, live on a Century Farm, where years of family pumpkin-growing traditions helped inspire her debut children’s book, Life on a Vine. She looks forward to sharing more stories with children, families, teachers, and librarians.
Media Contact:
Kari Hanson
Author of Life on a Vine
