Short Stories/Novellas

Juanita’s Flowers is a retelling of the legend of the cenizo. Mrs. Spencer’s grandmother used to tell her the story. Living in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, rain was a precious commodity. When the cenizo was blooming, it was either about to rain or it had just rained. Purple sage or cenizo is a desert plant found in the Southwestern United States, including Texas. It is a medium-sized shrub covered with delicate silvery to graygreen leaves. From summer to fall, the cenizo is covered in purplish flowers. Sometimes people call purple sage the barometer bush. This is because the flowers will bloom if there is a lot of moisture in the soil or in the air. Juanita, the star of the story, is a Javelina. These pig-like animals are found in southern deserts of the United States and in South Texas. Their favorite food is cactus; spines and all. They smell bad to us, but to each other, they smell like a wonderful perfume. Sally Rodgers Spencer is a native Texan who saw her first javelina when she was just five years old as it ran through her Rio Grande Valley neighborhood. This is her first children’s book. Sally knows firsthand the joy at seeing cenizo, the barometer plant, bloom right before much needed rain. She lives in Cuero, Texas with her husband, son, dog and several fish. Phil Brannan and his daughter Sunni were delighted to help their cousin, by marriage, illustrate her first children’s book. This is their first book, as well. Phil and Sunni are both accomplished lifelong professional artists.