HARLEN AND THE HOWLIN’ STORM

READING AGE - 5+
PUBLICATION DATE - April 9th, 2026
BOOK TYPE - Children’s Picture Book
THEMES - Courage | Helping Others During Times of Crisis | The Power of Resilience

ABOUT THE BOOK - Nestled deep in the Appalachian Mountains is the little holler of Whistle Creek. Here in a cozy little cave at the edge of town, you’ll find Harlen, a big-hearted sasquatch with a knack for growin’ greens. Each day, Harlen tends his garden, dreamin’ it’ll be the finest patch of greens this side of the Mississippi. But when a storm barrels through the town, Harlen must set aside his gardening tools in order to help his neighbors. Together, they brave the howlin’ winds and discover that helpin’ one another makes ‘em all stronger than any storm

ABOUT THE AUTHOR & BOOK DESIGNER - Carlos Vargas is a Cuban American and LGBTQ+ artist with a love for storytelling in all forms. Since beginning his creative journey in 2018, he has authored children's books, designed board games, and brought cities to life through video projection at festivals across the country. Carlos is the founder of Once Upon a Game, a boutique publishing house for board games and books for all ages, as well as Tiny Blot Studios, his creative studio focused on fine artwork. He lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains with his husband and their wonderful cats.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR - Andrea Revilla is a Venezuelans artist and llustrator with a passion for capturing and illustrating people's lives. With a couple of years of experience in both traditional and digital media, Andrea bring creativity to every project they work on. In their free time, Andrea enjoy diving into a good middle grade novel with a big cup of coffee by their side. CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE OF ANDREA REVILLA’S WORK