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Author Meg Martin

Story teller at heart

Meg Martin was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago. She enjoys taking long walks with her furry friend, Lexi, who she rescued from a shelter in 2017. When Meg saw Lexi’s sweet black and tan face, the Coonhound melted her heart. This adoption inspired Meg to write Lexi the Coonhound Finds a New Home!, her debut children’s book.

After settling in, Lexi thought it was playtime while Meg did yoga at home during the pandemic. From these playful moments, Meg was inspired to write the second book of the series, Lexi the Coonhound Does Yoga!

Over time, Meg realized that Lexi had separation anxiety. While working to support Lexi in these moments, Meg was inspired to write her third book, Lexi the Coonhound Visits Grandpa!

These books could make great Mother's Day gifts, baby shower gifts, or a gift for any dog-lover.

Through the publication of this book, Meg hopes to raise awareness for shelter dogs and encourage families to adopt from a shelter. Both of these can be found either on Barnes & Noble or Amazon.

Children's Picture Books

Read about Lexi the Coonhound Adventures!

Release date: June 2023

Lexi the coonhound lives in the pound. Lexi dreams of leaving the pound and finding a new home. One day, Zoey, a little freckle-faced girl, and her mom go to the pound to look at dogs. Zoey sees Lexi’s brown eyebrows on her sad furry face and immediately wants to adopt her. Lexi is excited to leave the pound, but she is also a little sad about leaving her furry friends. But on her first night outside the pound, Lexi is restless and scared. The little girl scrambles to ease Lexi’s first night jitters, creating a happy, comfortable environment so her new best friend can sleep soundly with her forever family.

Release date: March 2024

Join Lexi the friendly coonhound as she has fun learning yoga in the second installment of the heartfelt Lexi the Coonhound Finds a New Home! series, Lexi the Coonhound Does Yoga!. Lexi loves her new home but, even more, she LOVES to play! And sometimes it’s hard to stop (zoomies are so fun!). One evening as Lexi’s mom prepares to complete her own yoga routine, she realizes the best way to calm a very playful Lexi—and her as playful and curious young daughter, Zoey—is to show them how to do yoga too. What they learn is more than just yoga poses—they realize that sometimes all we really need is just to slow down and breathe.

Release date: November 2024

In this heartfelt tale, Lexi the Coonhound learns that trying new things can be fun, even if they’re scary at first! While Zoey and Mom attend a birthday party– sadly, no dogs are allowed, the coonhound has her first playdate with Grandpa. Lexi is nervous about spending the day away from Mom and Zoey. But, after some encouragement and belly rubs from Grandpa, Lexi learns that she can have fun even if she’s homesick. Together, Lexi and Grandpa have a special day of their own!

Prairie's Book Review: Finds a New Home

Told with quiet compassion and capped with a first-person note from Lexi herself, the story strikes a delicate balance between fear and comfort, unfamiliarity and belonging. Lexi’s adjustment unfolds slowly, realistically. But Martin doesn’t rush Lexi’s transformation. Instead, she lets the reader sit with the unease of change. Lexi’s journey gently affirms that being part of a family doesn’t happen all at once, and that it’s okay to need time, space, and something soft to hold onto. The illustrations mirror Lexi’s emotional journey, from uncertainty to comfort, with warmth and subtlety. Perfect for dog lovers and anyone who’s ever had to be brave in a new situation.

Prairie's Book Review: Does Yoga

Martin’s lively book blends movement, mindfulness, and family fun through the joyful chaos of a zoomie-prone dog and her curious human, Zoey. Martin’s narration is light and inviting, while Lexi’s inner thoughts add humor and heart. The yoga poses chosen; lotus, cat, puppy, tree, happy baby, are all child-friendly and familiar to those introducing mindfulness to children. Rather than prescribing how to move, the book models curiosity, joy, and acceptance—whether you’re a kid or a coonhound. A closing note from Lexi seals the message: even zoomy pups can learn to breathe and slow down. A playful, calming, and funny first look at yoga—for kids, pets, and everyone in between.

Prairie's Book Review: Visits Grandpa

Martin captures the quiet courage of trying something new in her tender tale of separation, trust, and unexpected joy. When Zoey and Mom head off to a birthday party (no dogs allowed), Lexi’s excitement turns to dread.

Martin’s use of sound effects, such as SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE; SLURP, SLURP; and NNNN, NNNN, NNNN, adds texture and rhythm while inviting young readers to act out Lexi’s emotional states. These are big feelings, written in little dog barks. Lexi’s anxiety is validated, not dismissed. Grandpa is patient, never pushy. And the final page, where Lexi reflects on her bravery and asks the reader, “What have you tried that scares you?” is a lovely call to empathy (and perhaps a little introspection).

Media

A playful picture book series follows a newly rescued pup as she learns life lessons in her new forever home.[CHICAGO, Illinois] – Gatekeeper Publishing announces the release of a new series of picture books for children. Lexi the Coonhound, written by Meg Martin, is a heartwarming and upbeat collection of children’s stories that follow an adorable rescue dog and her new family and their tales together. The books are geared to young readers for whom teaching compassion for animals fosters empathy, responsibility, and respect.

In the debut installment in the series, Lexi the Coonhound Finds a New Home!, Lexi lives in a shelter where she dreams of finding a new forever home. When she finally goes home with Zoey and her family, Lexi is excited but also a little scared. With just the right care from Zoey, it isn’t long before Lexi feels safe and comfortable in her loving new home.

In Lexi the Coonhound Does Yoga!, Lexi is full of energy in her new home and sometimes it’s too much—especially when Lexi’s mom is trying to complete her yoga routine. By including Lexi and Zoey through teaching them yoga poses, Lexi’s mom shows them that sometimes we need to slow down and breathe.

In Lexi the Coonhound Visits Grandpa!, Lexi has a playdate with Grandpa while Zoey and her mom attend a birthday party. Lexi isn’t used to being away from her family and she is nervous. But it’s nothing some belly rubs and encouragement from Grandpa can’t fix and soon the pair is having a special day of their own.

Martin’s series imparts important life skills through vibrant storytelling as well as raising awareness to the value of pet adoption. Caring for animals teaches children responsibility, bringing a sense of self-confidence while also helping to develop empathy and compassion that extends beyond animals to people. The Lexi the Coonhound books are a wonderful resource for families and educators of young children looking to open a dialogue about respect and kindness to animals at an early age.

Key Details:

Title: Lexi the Coonhound picture book series
Author: Meg Martin
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
Formats: Hardcover, paperback, ebook
Where to Buy: Lorem Ipsum

Call to Action: For more information or to request a review copy, contact Meg Martin at mamepublishing@gmail.com.

Educators

Lexi the Coonhound, stories about an adorable rescue pup on her playful adventures as she learns about life outside the dog pound with her best friend. Zoey. The series (36-38pp each) is geared to children ages three through eight and their families and educators.Each story has a letter from Lexi that you can use in the classroom to discuss emotions and feelings along with the story.

Questions for Finds a New Home:

Lexi needs her blankie to help her sleep and get comfortable in her new home. What do you need to help you sleep or be comfortable when away from home?
What are some ways that you can help someone feel comfortable when they were away from their family?
What is your bedtime routine to help calm down and ease into a peaceful slumber?

Questions for Does Yoga:

What did you think of yoga when you tried it for the first time?
Lexi gets the zoomies and finds it hard to calm down. What are things that you do that make it hard to calm down sometimes?
Lexi close her eyes and breathe in and out, then feel a lot calmer. Have you ever tried breathing and count to four when you are upset?

Questions for Visits Grandpa:

Lexi spent the day away from my family at Grandpa’s house. At first, she was nervous but then was glad that she went because it was so much fun! What have you tried that scared you?
Who is a part of your family circle?
What new adventure have you done that made you feel brave?

Quote

Nora Roberts

“As a writer, you have to have the three D’s: drive, discipline and desire. If you’re missing any one of those three, you can have all the talent in the world, but it’s going to be really hard to get anything done.”