mia-coulton

Mia Simpson Coulton

Author and Owner

Mary Ruth Coulton (nee Simpson), named after BOTH of her grandmothers, grew up in a home filled with pets that included a white mouse, parakeet, chicken, alligator, hamster, turtle, and assorted rescued cats. Mia, her name simplified by a brother who was unable to correctly pronounce Mary Ruth, also had a dog she named Rhubarb. With a mother who was a librarian, it’s no wonder that Mia loved books.

After completing a degree in elementary educational from Rio Grande College, Mia continued her education with graduate courses to earn a Certification in Reading Recovery®, a program she continues to support to this day with scholarships.

Mia was already a published author when she began writing about her dog Danny in 2001. She was working as a Reading Recovery® teacher in Shaker Heights, Ohio and had a student who, up to that point, had shown no interest in reading. The boy’s family had a yellow Labrador Retriever and it was the end of October. Mia wrote Halloween Danny, using pictures of her own yellow lab. It was the first book her young student wanted to read.

Since writing that initial Danny book, Mia has sold well over 1,000,000 books about Danny and other characters. She has helped an untold number of children learn to read. Getting children excited about reading and helping them feel successful are the achievements about which she’s most proud. And her favorite MRB book? “Well, anything with Bee,” she says, “just because Bee’s funny.”

Kaye Hood-Tatara

Kaye Hood-Tatara

Business Manager and Curriculum Development Specialist

Kaye has an extensive background in inquiry-based early education ranging from the Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Academy of Sciences to the Cuyahoga County Public Library.

At MaryRuth Books, she is the friendly voice when you contact the office and coordinates all things MRB. Kaye is also an author and illustrator, and creates many supplemental materials for our books. You may also meet her at national and local literacy conferences. Kaye enjoys her home life with husband Mark, a son and a daughter, and Moose, who, according to Kaye, is the greatest cat on earth. The large, male, black and white cat’s interests include ham, chasing chipmunks, and an evil plan to overthrow Kaye’s daughter in the family pecking order.

Amy and Norman

Amy and Norman

Amy Musser

Social Media / Creative Support

Amy comes from a long line of educators. She earned her Master in Education degree from The Ohio State University and worked as a teacher before deciding to stay home to raise her three children. Amy is also a maker. She enjoys all things creative and loves the challenge of mastering new skills and techniques.

At MaryRuth Books, Amy creates and designs the print and web graphics, makes costumes and backgrounds for the books, takes photos of animals, and maintains the website and social media accounts. You may also find Amy representing MaryRuth Books at education and literacy conferences across the country. During her free time, Amy likes to hang out with her family, golf, sit in the sun, go to zoos and aquariums, read, explore, and walk her own Yellow Labrador Retriever, Obie, with her husband, Chris.