Kathy Anderson is hoping her children's book "The Green Bean Time Machine" will give readers some food for thought. It's geared toward picky eaters ages 4 to 8.

"As an Integrative Nutrition health coach, I have worked with many clients who are interested in growing in their health and fitness," said Kathy, who lives in Rapho Township. "Many are parents with young children, and the topic of picky eating often comes up during sessions."

She shared tips, tricks and advice from a health coach perspective in sessions but realized she could turn the information into a book, creating adventures designed to encourage kids to grow in their own health and wellness journeys by eating more fruits and vegetables.

"The Green Bean Time Machine" follows the story of 5-year-old twins Billy and Bailey as they travel to the prehistoric era in a time machine.

"Without giving away too many details, the twins meet up with a very special dinosaur friend, help the dinosaur town and discover that bravery doesn't just mean facing towering dinosaurs; it also means taking a bite of something green," Kathy shared. "The story follows Billy's hesitation to try green vegetables and the small but courageous steps he takes along the way."

The book, which came out in January, is the first in a series of 10 Kathy plans to write.

"I see these books as a valuable tool to help parents gently guide their picky eaters," she explained. "Each book will include simple steps that parents can begin putting into practice right away. They also include recipes and a QR code for a free digital cookbook with kid-friendly recipes. This book collection is like having another tool in your parenting tool belt."

She already has outlines for the rest of the books. The second book in the series, "Bailey's Belly Battle" will be released in May and will focus on bellyaches and gut issues. Each book will highlight a specific color of fruit or vegetable - green for the first book, orange for the second.

Kathy is no stranger to writing. She has previously published four books, including "Recalculating," a book about navigating out of negativity that was released in 2017. Her other books include autumn and winter word searches and an Advent family devotional called "The Manger in the Middle."

Her husband of 38 years, Dan, helped her with the word search and Advent books and will illustrate the rest of the books in Kathy's children's series, although she hired a different illustrator for "The Green Bean Time Machine."

Kathy said writing books had never been on her bucket list until she saw an ad one day for a contest for free tuition for a self-publishing course for book writing. At the time, she was caring full time for her mother, who had dementia, and she thought writing would be a great outlet for self-care. She entered and won the contest.

"The school was wonderful and took me through the steps from blank page to a full written and published book," she said. "It was a great experience, so when the time was right, I decided to continue with my writing."

She transitioned from adult-focused books to children's books after being inspired about a year ago.

"I originally got the idea for the book in February of 2025," she recalled. "I was actually deep in prayer, and I believe the Lord gave me the idea and has prompted me to write these adventure stories for picky eaters. If anyone desires healthy kids, who more than the One who created them?"

She loves that her writing helps people, and she enjoys the creative outlet writing provides. She's also written more than 200 songs and recorded a 10-song CD several years ago.

The most challenging part of writing, she said, is simply making time to do it. She's busy spending time with Dan, along with their three children and six grandchildren.

"Our grandchildren love 'The Green Bean Time Machine' book, and the illustration for the main character, Billy, was created with my 9-year-old grandson in mind," she said. "They look very similar, so it's extra sweet and meaningful to have this fun aspect to this book series."

She advises others who are interested in writing books to first read as much as possible to learn what type of books are the most appealing to them and why. Then, she recommends, write about something you're good at and ask yourself, 'What can I teach people?"

She wants readers of her children's series to understand why a child might hesitate to try certain foods and how to deal with the emotions parents might feel when feeding picky eaters.

"It can cause so much frustration for busy, hardworking parents who love their kids and really just want what's best for them," she said. "My hope is that families will not only grow in their health as their little ones learn to eat more fruits and vegetables, but that they would also receive the gift of a peaceful dinner table, where trying new foods is an enjoyable and normal experience."

Kathy's books are available on Amazon.