Meet the storyteller behind Packy's adventures
Discover the inspiration and passion that bring Packy's Story Time Castle to life. Learn about Michelle R. Barlow's journey as an author, illustrator, and librarian, and what makes her stories so special.
My journey to Packy's Story Time Castle
Hello! I am Michelle R. Barlow, an elementary school librarian and self-published author. I met Packy the summer before I began my dream job of becoming an elementary school librarian! He was hanging out at a bookstore with some other puppets. When I saw him, I knew he would be part of my library's story time. He reminded me of Templeton from Charlotte's Web, which my second-grade teacher, Mrs. Butler, read to me! Packy collects poems he keeps in his backpack for me to read to students when they visit our story-time castle!
About us
Special Acknowledgment
The concept of "Packy" began with several store-bought puppets I used early in my teaching career. When it became clear that Packy needed a fully original design for publishing and recorded performances, I turned to Leslie Herring's incredible talent. She created a completely original, one‑of‑a‑kind puppet that gave Packy his own true identity. Her artistry allows me to continue sharing his stories with children everywhere.
Packy puppet was created by Leslie Herring and is used with the artist's full permission.
Making reading magical for every child
My journey to become both a school librarian and author of children's books began when I was a child at East Milton Elementary School, and my librarian, Mrs. Skipper, made reading and books a magical escape for me. I started my career as a classroom teacher and reading interventionist, but I wanted to do so much more to make reading magical for children. I hope my stories and art bring joy and a sense of togetherness when they read them!
Crafting stories and handmade art
I am blessed to have a husband who can help me make my dreams a reality. He is a talented woodworker. He built my story time castle and several other beautiful items for my library. Most of my creative ideas have come from little stories I have made up along the way about my library mascot, Packy. My students kept telling me I should write my own books. I always tell them they only fail if they never try, so they finally turned those words back on me and here I am trying to make it as an author!
"Packy's Story Time Castle is a magical place where imagination takes flight, inspiring young readers with every tale."
A happy reader