Among the items featured at the Ten Thousand Villages Gift Shop at Oxford Presbyterian Church (OPC) this holiday season are three books by Cochranville author Iris Gray Dowling. Two of the books, "Let's Open Our Eyes & Find a Luna Moth" and "Nature Stories #2" are new and were released this month. The third, "Days Gone By (Life in 1930s and 1940s)," which details the beginnings of Cochranville, was published earlier this year.

This year, the shop at OPC will be open on Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 15 from 10 a.m. to noon. In addition, the shop will be open on Friday, Dec. 6, from 5 to 8 p.m., during which time Dowling will be on hand offering signed copies of her books, which will remain available to purchase in the shop. She will also be available to speak with shoppers about the writing process.

Like her picture book, "Keep Your Eyes Open (Discover the Cecropia Moth)," "Let's Open Our Eyes & Find a Luna Moth" details the moth's life cycle. "I added other pages about different kinds of moths, and I drew all of the drawings myself, even the cover," said Dowling. "It's a picture book really, but it offers very good information."

"Nature Stories #2" is a sequel to "Nature Stories #1," which she wrote about 10 years ago. "This is more of a reading book (rather than a picture book), with a lot of stories about nature," said Dowling.

Both books are designed to encourage children to learn, experience and enjoy nature. "They are children's books because there are pictures and children can learn from them," she noted. "They are great for homeschooling. The luna book has bigger pictures and should be studied with a parent. 'Nature Stories' would definitely be readable for (students) in upper grades or a good reader in third or fourth grade."

Dowling uses stories from her personal experiences when writing books. "'Nature Stories' has a lot of good stories about growing up ... things that happened in the yard or the small farm where I grew up," she noted.

Dowling has written more than 17 books, including "History of Churches and Worship Groups in the Oxford Area" and "Mission Stories from Upper Oxford Township," which details true stories from people in the Upper Oxford and Cochranville areas who served as missionaries.

"(Writing) keeps me busy and keeps my mind occupied. I look forward to the day (when I am writing). It's part of my life," she shared.

Dowling, who has spent more than 65 years as an educator, author and play director, added that she is not done writing books. "I have another one in the back of my mind. I have a story to tell and a message to give, and that is what I am doing in this stage of my life," she said, adding that she prefers reading physical copies of books, including her own, rather than reading on a tablet or device. "I want to see it and feel it and turn the pages."

Ten Thousand Villages offers home decor, accessories and gift items made by artisans around the world. A founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization, the Ten Thousand Villages organization ensures that artisans receive a fair price for their work, while offering shoppers an opportunity to buy unique handcrafted items. According to www.tenthousandvillages.com, every purchase directly impacts the life and community of its maker in a developing country.

Oxford Presbyterian Church is located at 6 Pine St., Oxford. For more information about the Ten Thousand Villages Shop, visit www.facebook.com/OxfordPresbyterian or call the church office at 610-932-9640.

For more information about the books or how to obtain a copy, email Dowling at dowlingiris013@gmail.com.