Welcome!
Learning Begins
with Wonder...
Our mission is to nurture meaningful connections between children, caregivers, and the natural world through play-based learning, early literacy, and relationship-centered approaches that support healthy child development, curiosity, creativity, and lifelong learning.
Look Closer! The Alphabet Book
The Book
A Journey Through Letters
Look Closer… It’s a Letter! is a nature-inspired alphabet discovery book that encourages children and caregivers to explore the outdoors together while building early literacy, curiosity, creativity, and writing confidence.
Discover letters hidden in nature through playful exploration, creativity, and early literacy learning.
What if learning the alphabet began not with flashcards or worksheets, but with wonder?
In this beautifully photographed nature alphabet book, children are invited to discover letters hidden in the world around them. Through playful exploration, observation, and conversation, young learners begin building the foundations of early writing and literacy
in meaningful, real-world ways.
Designed to encourage curiosity, connection, and open-ended discovery, this book celebrates the magic of learning through nature. As caregivers and children explore together, they strengthen not only early literacy skills, but also creativity, communication,
and the joy of shared experiences.
Perfect for curious children, families, educators, and nature lovers alike, this book is an invitation to slow down, look closely, and discover that letters are everywhere.
Look Inside...
We designed the tracing pages throughout the book to feel clean, playful, and inviting, with large traceable letters and a simple uncluttered layout that gently supports early writing skills through curiosity, creativity, and exploration-based learning.
About the Authors
Sheila and Bry Aiken are a mother-daughter team of authors whose shared passion for storytelling, creativity, and human development brings a warm and thoughtful perspective to their work.
Sheila Aiken
Sheila Aiken grew up on a farm in Kansas with her siblings, surrounded by animals, gardens, and the beauty of the outdoors. Inspired by her mother, who created beautiful gardens filled with flowers and vegetables, Sheila developed a lifelong love for nature, farming, and exploration. She helped raise livestock, harvest gardens, and experienced rural life firsthand from an early age. Independent from a young age, she worked while completing high school and later devoted herself to raising her two children while staying active in community sports and outdoor living. Her passion for gardening, landscaping, and sustainable living continued throughout her life and led her across the American West. After moving to Colorado, Sheila studied complementary healing modalities and embraced hiking and mountain life. She later lived in Arizona, worked at a vineyard in southern Utah, and gained hands-on horticultural experience at a cactus nursery in Nevada.
Sheila also worked with a foundation dedicated to teaching farming and gardening in schools and residential communities. She taught students how to plant, understand compatible crops, and appreciate the science behind gardening, while encouraging hands-on learning through harvesting and growing food. Today, Sheila is a proud grandmother, artist, photographer, author, hiker, and lifelong admirer of the natural world, continually inspired by the beauty and adventure that life offers.
Bry Aiken, M. Ed.
Bry Aiken, M.Ed. is an early childhood educator, early intervention specialist, and mama who believes that some of the most meaningful learning happens in simple, everyday moments. With a background in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education, she has spent years supporting young children and their families through play-based and relationship-centered approaches. Bry is especially passionate about helping caregivers feel confident in supporting their child’s development through connection, curiosity, and time spent together. She believes that nature offers endless opportunities for discovery and learning.
Bry also works in the field of early childhood consulting, with a focus on play-based learning, early literacy, caregiver-child interaction, and relational approaches to child development. She is available for workshops, educator trainings, speaking engagements, and consultation with early childhood programs and families.
Connect With Us
We are always happy to hear from readers, caregivers, educators, and families. If you are interested in workshops, consulting, speaking engagements, or early childhood learning resources, we would love to connect with you.