Grandma Shares 13 Fantastic Tales

Stories for grandkids can be found in new book

Barbara Arnold, photos by Andrea Paulseth |

When Jean and Tom Hebert’s grandchildren came for a visit, they got to build a huge nest of blankets, quilts, and pillows on the floor at the foot of their grandparents’ bed. And then the real fun would begin: They would grab the three-ring notebook full of stories Grandma Jean created for each grandchild based on their personalities and imagination, and Grandma or Grandpa would read them a bedtime story. Soon after, the grandchildren would crash and sleep in the fluffy nest.

Jean’s stories about her 13 grandchildren are now available in a delightful 114-page book, with 13 chapters – one for each grandchild, of course – called Grandma Jean’s Fantastic Tales. Each chapter opens with a colorful acrylic painting of the child in his or her own fantastical tale, with a photo of his or her face (Jean admits that faces and portraits are not her forte). The stories appeal to anyone; you need not be a member of the Hebert family to appreciate the adventures taken and the lessons learned. The grandchildren and their stories are:

• Brittany Richards, then 12 years old and now 28, in “A Dairyman (A History Lesson).”

• David Bartz, at the age of 6, told the basis of “The Beings” story to Grandma. He is now 23 years old and married with a son of his own.

• Rebekah Bartz, then 10 and now 22, is the main character in “Tiger Eyes,” which begins with the question, “Can you imagine a palace so beautiful it seems to be magic?”

• Sarah Bartz, then 12 and now 20, in “The Mysterious Golden Box.”

• A.J. for Andrew Joseph Snyder. Then 5 and now 20, in “A.J. Finds a New Friend” also authored by Jean’s mother, Leone Laird.

• Katherine Snyder, then 5 and now 18, in “Princess Katherine and the Evil Knight.”

• Elizabeth (Lucy) Bartz, then 9 and now 18, in “I’ve Been to the Moon.”

• Sophia Gamble, then 9 and now 16, in “A Horrible Snake Named PooDoo.”

• Paige Hebert, then 7 and now 15, in “A Horse Called Furious Thunder.”

• Grace Gamble, then 7 and now 14, in “Grace is Amazing.”

• Genevieve Brehmer, then 8 and now 12, in “The Crystal Dragon.”

• Sloane Brehmer, who passed away unexpectedly at 15 months, would be 10 years old now had she lived. “Sloanie Balonie and the Deer Family” is a story told by Sloane’s older sister, Genevieve, when Sloanie was almost a year old.

• Nicole Hebert, 5 years old then and 8 years old now, in “The Golden Touch of Dristan.”

Grandma Jean’s Fantastic Tales is available for $11.99 at The Local Store, 205 N. Dewey St., Eau Claire; Hebert Dental, 4710 Commerce Valley Road, Eau Claire; the gift shop at St. Joseph’s Hospital, 2661 County Highway I, Chippewa Falls; and Books “N” Things, 200 N. Broadway St., Stanley. You can also contact the author directly at abear2@charter.net or (715) 382-4941.