What if a pinecone was more than a pinecone? Join curious little Nomi McGee on a gentle forest adventure where big questions grow from small things. When she picks up what seems like "just a pinecone," her forest friends reveal it's also a bed, a snack, and something more. Told in playful rhyme and filled with wonder, this thoughtful tale introduces young readers to the idea that everything we see is connected-and nothing is quite what it seems. The Way Things Are is a series of whimsical, wise stories inspired by and written especially for children ages 4-8 (and the grown-ups who read with them). Book One invites us to look again, listen deeply, and ask: "What else might this thing be?"