About The Author

Mary Bailey is a journalist, teacher, and animal lover who spends much of her time writing short stories and poems, and editing essays and manuscripts. After meeting and connecting with her best friend’s dog, she was inspired to write a story about another beloved pet that went on to do great things. The thought of writing for children came to her one night about eight years ago as she desperately tried to get her grandsons to fall asleep. They asked her to read them a story, but she was already under the covers and didn’t want to reach for a book. She proceeded to concoct a tale, and to her delight, they enjoyed the made-up story immensely.

NAPPY'S BARK

Nappy is a friendly, happy, spirited Staffordshire dog who lives in the McBean home in Macka Grove. As a pup, he is not expected to live, but under the tender care of his adopted family, he survives and thrives. Mr. and Mrs. McBean love him unconditionally and so do the twins. His penchant for short naps leads to the name by which nearly everyone in the community knows him. One of his favorite pastimes is greeting friends and being petted by them.

One day, on a trip to the twins’ school, Nappy runs towards a little girl who happens to be the McBean’s neighbor and the twins’ best friend.
The vice-principal witnesses it and petitions Nappy to be muzzled and sent away.

Will Nappy be separated from his beloved family?

Testimonials

In times like these when there’s so much bitterness and hate, Nappy’s Bark is a welcome story that teaches us about love overcoming evil. It shows what can happen when people unite against the bad guy. I encourage you to get this book and read to your children. Many lessons to be learned from it. Congrats, my sister. Good job!

Gillian Haughton

Watch words come to life, creating vivid scenes that left no room for speculation…at one point, I was like, “I know that character!” Love this. Mary Bailey creating safe and interesting reading resources for children…bring ‘‘em on.

Dr. Eraldine Williams-Shakespeare

Nappy’s Bark is a beautiful tale about fear, love and the power of community. It provides a refreshing view of an alternative perspective on a controversial issue. Personally, I related well to the story as I had developed the exact fear and shared the opinion of the antagonist. That's because of a terifying experience I had when I was 6 years old. The story however, has allowed me to experience the other side. Young readers with or without dogs will fall in love with Nappy, feel his pain and understand the family's plight.