✨ Coming Soon to Amazon🧒 Ages 3–8

Four friends. One cactus.
Room for everyone.

When the desert storm rolls in, four unlikely friends discover that a hollow saguaro can be more than a cactus — it can be a commune, a canvas, and a place to weather it together.

Read the Story →

Currently in review with Kindle Direct Publishing.

Cactus Commune book cover by Lucy Ramsdell, featuring a ringtailed cat, roadrunner, tortoise and coyote in a desert scene
New!
Whimsical saguaro cactus desert scene at sunset
The Story

Inspired by a real saguaro with a curious little hole.

At the entrance to author Lucy Ramsdell's neighborhood stands a tall saguaro cactus with a perfect round hole right in the middle. One day, her imagination wandered inside it — and a whole desert family came tumbling out.

Cactus Commune is a story about four desert creatures who each bring a different gift to their shared shelter. Together they discover that belonging isn't about being the same — it's about making room for what makes each of us wonderfully different.

Just right for ages 3–8. With rhythmic, read-aloud language, big-hearted characters, and gentle themes of friendship, teamwork, and resilience — perfect for bedtime, story time, and early readers.

Meet the Commune

Four little friends. One hollow cactus. Endless adventure.

Ringo the Ringtailed Cat the the curious one

The Curious One

Ringo the Ringtailed Cat

Bright-eyed and clever, Ringo explores every nook of the cactus with his bushy striped tail held high.

Remi the Roadrunner the the speedster

The Speedster

Remi the Roadrunner

Zips across the dunes bringing news, snacks, and a little bit of mischief.

Myrtle the Turtle the the gentle heart

The Gentle Heart

Myrtle the Turtle

Slow, steady, and always the first to welcome a new friend to the commune.

Yoti the Coyote the the dreamer

The Dreamer

Yoti the Coyote

Howls at the moon, tells tall tales, and keeps the commune singing long into the desert night.

Lucy Ramsdell as a young girl, sitting cross-legged in a sunny backyard

Lucy, age 5

Young Lucy with her sister and visiting cousins Tom and Steven feeding their pet desert tortoises Myrtle and Apollo

Feeding Myrtle & Apollo 🐢

About the Author

A dream Lucy has carried since she was five.

Lucy Ramsdell has wanted to write children's books since she was a child herself — back when she and her sister spent sunny afternoons caring for their pet desert tortoises, Myrtle and Apollo. Now that her kids are grown and she's wrapped up a long and rewarding career representing union members, she can finally turn back to her inner child's dream.

Cactus Commune is the very first blossom from that promise — and a love letter to anyone, at any age, still waiting to begin.

"Follow your dreams. Even the saguaro waits decades to bloom."

Be the first to bring Cactus Commune home.

The book is in final review with Amazon KDP. Check back soon — or follow along as Ringo, Remi, Myrtle, and Yoti get ready to meet the world.

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