James D Owens

The Little Ponderosa Zoo is preparing for their annual fundraiser festival that keeps the zoo afloat. The Freeman family, Jack, Judy, and their young daughter, Charlie opened the zoo years earlier after sharing their own home with the many animals they had rescued through the years With the help of Mr. Baker, their dependable zookeeper, the zoo has always been a huge hit with the small town. But, one day, the local bank owner discovers some dusty old documents in the basement of his bank that show that the zoo is sitting on a gold mine and, with the help of the town Mayor, and the Mayor s bumbling nephew, they immediately devise a devious plan to get the gold for themselves. The greedy trio see the annual festival as the perfect opportunity to put their dangerous plan into action and close the zoo forever and get their hands on the gold!

Samantha Crawford is living a storybook life: she’s happily married, she lives on a ranch where she keeps her beloved horse, and the stories she’s told and illustrated since childhood have become published books. When her husband Billy is killed in a senseless act of violence, Sam loses her faith and her will to live. But a death-defying encounter with two children leads to a reunion with Joe, her oldest friend. As Sam watches “Papa” Joe care for and love the kids in his under-resourced neighborhood, she begins to realize that no matter life’s circumstances, the love of God is always reaching out to us.