About the stories
I write children’s books for young readers and the grown-ups who read with them.
My stories usually start with a simple idea and grow into something about patience, courage, friendship, feelings, or figuring things out along the way.
I want the books to be fun to read, easy to talk about, and worth coming back to.
And I want the characters to feel like old friends.
Meet Mari
I’m Mari Telios, author of The Little Seed’s Long Wait.
My love of stories has stayed with me since the first children’s literature class I took in college, purely for the joy of it. One of my professors loved Herman Melville so much he even wore ties with little whales on them. It stayed with me how deeply a story could become part of someone’s life, long after it was read.
Much of my inspiration comes from the lessons life quietly offers, the moments that don’t announce themselves, yet shape us all the same. Writing allows me to translate those moments into stories children can hold onto, and adults may recognize as their own.
My hope is that these stories become part of everyday life. Bedtime routines, classroom shelves, quiet pauses, and places where imagination and curiosity are learned naturally.
Mari is the founder of Seedling Press Publishing, an independent imprint focused on thoughtful children’s books.
Sharing Hope Through a Story
In July 2026, I donated copies of both the English and Spanish editions of The Little Seed’s Long Wait, along with Little Seed plush companions, to Ronald McDonald House near Advocate Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn.
My hope was that families facing difficult days might connect with Little Seed and find a little comfort in his story.
If it brought even one small smile to a child or a parent, it was worth it.
– Mari
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