Did you know we have an award-winning children’s book author located right here near the Triangle!? 📖 Kathy Simmers wrote the endearing book “Jump the Moon” about her daughter’s relationship with a very special horse named “Me Too.” 🐎 Kathy owns a 19-acre farm in Pittsboro (about 40 miles west of Raleigh) with horses, llamas, alpacas, goats, and chickens. You can schedule a group experience on Kathy’s farm to meet the author and interact with all of her animals, plus she will conduct story time in the barn and send you home with your very own signed copy of her heartwarming book about following your dreams. Horse lovers will enjoy this hands-on experience at the farm, and relish in this girl-meets-pony love story!

Jump the Moon

Based on the true story of Kathy’s daughter Denise and her pony named “Me Too”, Jump the Moon is a beautiful story about trusting your heart, following your dreams, and never putting limits on what is possible.

Synopsis

The girl with the long blonde hair grew up loving horses and spent her summers working long days at a barn just so she could spend some of her time riding. One day a tough gray horse was brought to the barn for training. Everyone was scared of the pony, but the girl with the long blonde hair spent time with her every day and a beautiful friendship was born. After that summer, it seemed their close-knit bond would be lost forever, when suddenly the girl began having dreams about the pony. She knew she had to find her special pony, and so her quest began to track her down and bring her home.

Based on a True Story

I spoke with Kathy for quite a bit after we read the book together, and she expressed how magical it really was seeing this true story play out in real life for her daughter. Just when all hope seemed lost, a miraculous breakthrough just so happened to take them to the right place at the right time in order to get their happy ending.

Growing up, Kathy had always wanted to live on a farm with horses. However, she faced many obstacles and it didn’t seem like that dream would ever become reality. One day she realized it was time to follow her dreams and get that farm she always wanted! She made the move from New York to North Carolina and the rest is history!

There’s a pattern to Kathy’s writing, and everyone listening to the story will want to chime in on the horse’s thoughts. It makes for a fun, interactive read-aloud book that you will want to read again and again. Kathy’s hope is that kids everywhere will learn that no dream is too far out of reach. If you want to own a pony or own a farm or find a long-lost friend, never give up and one day you can!

Get your copy of the book today!

Farm Tour

One of the best parts about meeting Kathy was also meeting all of her animals at her farm in Pittsboro. She loves animals and wants to share them and the joys of farm life with children and their families. It’s not a working farm per say, but more of a rescue where animals are loved and taken care of their whole life. Kathy said the animals just find her and she enjoys giving them a loving home.

During our visit we were able to feed the goats, groom the mini-ponies, pet the chickens, walk the llamas, and cuddle with the alpacas. It kept us busy for over an hour, and each visit can be tailored to your group and the ages and stages within it. All of the animals were used to being around kids and were very friendly. One of the alpacas actually likes to cuddle and nuzzle with you, which was a fun experience with such a big furry animal!

After had our fill of animals, we cozied on up in the haybales for story time in the barn. It was a great way to end our visit and afterward we could ask questions and talk with Kathy about the book. My kids had a couple of questions, but they mainly enjoyed playing in the hay while I chatted with Kathy. I didn’t know much about the process of writing a children’s book, so it was interesting to hear all the details.

We wrapped up story time with a book signing, and I’m sure my kids will cherish this book for years to come. Make sure you pre-order your copy of “Jump the Moon” when you schedule your farm tour, so you can take home a signed copy as well.

Schedule your Visit

Due to the pandemic, Kathy is only scheduling groups at this time. You can book a farm tour with your homeschool group or pod. The rate is $120 for up to 12 kids, and adults are free. This comes out to only $10 per kid, which isn’t bad at all! You’ll probably also want to add on a family copy of the book for $14.95, so keep that in mind when booking.

Explore Pittsboro

I know Pittsboro may be pretty far for some of you. It was about an hour from my home near Wake Forest, but the farm tour and meet the author experience was worth it so I definitely recommend it! To maximize our time, we also explored Historic Downtown Pittsboro, visited Kiwanis Park and Town Lake Park, and made our way over to Fearrington Village. More to come on these spots, so stay tuned and follow Raleigh Tot Spots on Facebook or Instagram for more updates!