The Poppy Lady Moina Belle Michael and Her Tribute to Veterans

Moina Belle Michael, a schoolteacher from Georgia, successfully established the Flanders Field Memorial Poppy as a universal symbol of tribute and support for veterans and their families during World War I and II. Known as the Poppy Lady, Michael dedicated her life to servicemen and women, buying and placing fresh flowers in rooms where they would gather before heading overseas. Author Barbara Elizabeth Walsh and artist Layne Johnson worked with experts and primary documents, as well as Moina's great-nieces to better understand Moina's determination to honor the war veterans. To capture the impact Moina's Operation Purple,a program of the National Military Family Association, which benefits children of the U.S. military.

Barbara Elizabeth Walsh has fond memories of poppies and parades honoring her father and other veterans. During World War II her father knew Moina Michael, the Poppy Lady. A former elementary-school teacher, Barbara has written articles for Highlights for Children and Cricket. The Poppy Lady is her first children's book. She and her husband live in Mantoloking, New Jersey, and Key Largo, Florida.

Layne Johnson has created art for more than twenty books for children, including the Western Heritage Award-winning Off Like the Wind!: The First Ride of the Pony Express (by Michael P. Spradlin) and the acclaimed Farmer George Plants a Nation (by Peggy Thomas), a picture book biography of George Washington's life as a farmer, inventor, and scientist. Mr. Johnson speaks frequently in schools and libraries and enjoys traveling to historic sites. He lives in Texas with his wife. You can visit him on the web at www.laynejohnson.com.