Meet Michèle & Finley

Some stories begin with an idea. Ours began with a dog.

I'm Michèle, the author and artist behind The Little Adventures of Finley, and Finley is the very real black Lab who inspired it all.

What began with everyday adventures together has grown into a collection of stories celebrating curiosity, friendship, courage, and the little moments that make ordinary days worth remembering.

The Real Finley

Finley is the heart behind the stories.

She's curious, affectionate, endlessly observant, with a love of going wherever the day leads and a talent for turning even the most ordinary outing into an adventure.

Many of the moments that find their way into her books begin with something we've actually done together: a trip to the park, a day at the lake, meeting someone new, learning something unfamiliar, or simply exploring the world one sniff at a time.

The stories may wander a little farther than real life does, but Finley is always Finley.

Meet Michèle

Before I started writing Finley's adventures, I spent more than 15 years in the classroom teaching science.

I loved the moments when curiosity took over, when a question led somewhere unexpected, or when something that seemed unfamiliar suddenly began to make sense.

These days, that same curiosity finds its way into the things I create. I write, illustrate, paint, make, and collect ideas from the world around me, often with Finley somewhere nearby.

Her stories bring a few of those worlds together: a teacher's love of discovery, an artist's love of creating, and the belief that ordinary moments can become pretty wonderful stories.

Why Finley's Stories?

Finley's adventures are stories first.

They're meant to be read together, laughed over, colored in, talked about, and returned to again and again.

Some begin with wonderfully ordinary things: a trip to the park, planting a garden, visiting the farm, or spending a day at the lake. Others explore experiences that can feel a little unfamiliar at first.

Through it all, Finley gets to be the familiar friend who comes along for the adventure.

Because childhood is full of firsts. And sometimes it's a little easier to explore something new when you've already seen a friend do it.

Continue the Adventure...

Explore Finley’s books, coloring books, bookmarks, and other little pieces of the story in The Reading Room.

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