Rockwall Author Upchurch Launches Debut Children's Book at Barnes & Noble

Rockwall author Shanna Upchurch drew more than 200 attendees to Barnes & Noble on April 4 to celebrate her debut children's picture book, "The Honeybee Highway," released through Disney's Planet Possible imprint and distributed nationally by Penguin Random House.

The two-hour storytime and signing, held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., included readings and interactive moments aimed at the book's target audience of children ages 3 to 5. Organizers had urged families to arrive early given the projected demand, and the turnout proved that advice warranted.

"The Honeybee Highway" follows a child's introduction to beekeeping and food production, grounding its ecological message in an intergenerational family bond and the daily rhythms of tending a hive. Upchurch, who lives outside Dallas and keeps bees herself, brought firsthand knowledge to the story. Penguin Random House describes the book as both an environmental narrative and an affirmation that young children can engage meaningfully with real-world problems.

The Disney Planet Possible imprint, which focuses on ecological and environmental content for young readers, gives the title a natural path into school reading programs. Its 3-to-5 age range places it squarely in pre-K and kindergarten classrooms, but the agriculture and pollination themes carry enough depth for early primary teachers to build broader science discussions around it. Schools across Rockwall County connecting science literacy with picture-book storytelling now have a locally grounded option written by an author accessible for in-person visits.

The launch also served as a community-facing demonstration of what a debut from a major imprint can look like: a Rockwall resident, a nationally distributed title, and a bookstore packed with families two days before the book's April 7 publication date in national catalogs. Upchurch has additional titles contracted with major publishers scheduled over the next two years, giving local schools and libraries a reason to keep her on the calendar.