Ronda Friend

is not just a children’s author – R. Friend is a master storyteller, musician, singer, songwriter and a motivational speaker.  She has provided a memorable, magical moment in over 800 schools across the United States with her character-based programs. Ronda engages the whole school using character messages, storytelling, music, puppets, sign language and audience participation. Combined with being a professional storyteller for Scholastic Books for nine years, Ronda has presented her humorous, heartwarming program to over one million children.

R. Friend loves children more than books and is the founder of Sunflower Seeds Press – a children’s publishing company.  Her mission is to reach children’s hearts and minds by sowing seeds of a different kind.  She has worked for over thirty years with children, produced dozens of children’s musicals and now writes a nostalgic series about her life all containing original songs and true stories. R. Friend was raised on a farm rightly named “Friendly Acres” in Ohio in the 50’s & 60’s.

Students, staff & parents relate to R. Friend’s series -Down on Friendly Acres- complete with family squabbles, life lessons & unbelievable true cliffhangers. Titles include Time Out at Home (patience), Panic in the PigPen (perseverance) & Woolly Baaad Lies (honesty). Families flip over family nights as the audience teams up to act out P.U. You Stink!  In the end everyone realizes–“Families who stink together, stick together!”

Ronda’s heart’s desire is for children to fall in love with reading, writing & the fine arts.  The three “R’s” are in important in life. But in the end what Ronda hopes children treasure the most are the three F’s – family, faith and friends. She inspires everyone to remember not matter what they are going through in life, “Sunshine or rain, always and forever, dare to dance and leap for joy!”

Born in Ohio, Ronda now lives in Franklin, Tennessee.  Her husband, Bill, is the Vice-President of Sunflower Seeds Press.  Her son, Jeremy, and his wife, Joy, and her daughter, Stephanie, are her inspiration.  They have contributed their talents in music, graphic arts and photography to work together to make Sunflower Seeds Press fun for all ages!