​​Phoebe Belle Press was created in 2010 and was named after Phoebe Belle Meeker Treat, great grandmother of author/illustrator Wendy Abigail Treat.  Phoebe Belle had been a strong, loving presence in the life of Dr. Daniel Allen Treat, Wendy Treat's father.  Phoebe Belle  encouraged her grandson to learn about the world, and inspired him to reach his educational dreams.  Phoebe Bell Press strives to continue to provide this encouragement and inspiration to children through books that teach science concepts in a fun, inviting way and through books that support learning in innovative ways.     

​Publisher of unique educational books.  

Specializing in beautifully illustrated children's books.

PHOEBE BELLE PRESS was created to make publishing dreams come true.  "Fruits of Paradise" was written in 1979 and was submitted to agents and numerous publishers.  Hand-written rejection notices were received by young aspiring writer Wendy A. Treat, and eventually the manuscript was set aside.  When she wrote and illustrated  "Goodbye Sun", Ms. Treat brought it to a writing conference and a representative from a well-known publisher told her it was what just what the company was looking for.  Ms. Treat's dreams took wing.  However, two years later, Ms. Treat received a rejection letter from that publishing company.   Ms. Treat's mother, Elsie Buffum (Buffy) Treat had always encouraged and championed her daughter's writing dreams.  She  suggested that the family create a publishing company and self-publish "Goodbye Sun".  In 2010, that dream was accomplished.  Now it is time to (finally!) publish "Fruits of Paradise" as well as other books that now-Dr. Treat has written.  Publishing dreams of other family members are also growing wings.  Phoebe Belle Press is prepared to  make their publishing dreams also come true!


​​Wendy Abigail Treat is a mother of four, a grandmother, and a life-long learner and teacher. Recently retired from 36 years of teaching Special Education, Dr. Treat’s public school teaching career included teaching in Jamaica, Hawaii, and Northern California. She earned her B.S. degree in Applied Behavioral Science at the University of California, Davis, then went on to earn Special Education and General Elementary teaching credentials. Later, she earned an M. A. in Education with a focus on curriculum and instruction. In 2013 she completed her Doctorate in Education at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her thesis was/is entitled "Animal-Assisted Literacy Instruction For Students With Identified Learning Disabilities:  Examining the Effects of Incorporating a Therapy Dog into Guided Oral Reading Sessions".  

Weaving a love of animals into her love of teaching, Dr. Treat brought a wide variety of animals into her classrooms over the years.  In addition to the therapy dog who made her doctoral study possible, Dr. Treat’s Special Education classrooms were visited by baby chicks, ducklings, rabbits, parakeets, quail, piglets, chameleons, and more. These animals calmed and motivated her students.  Students read to the animals, wrote about them, and held them as a reward for completing assignments. Dr. Treat’s doctoral thesis has been accessed by universities all over the world, downloaded over 4,000 times.  She is currently taking the information in her thesis and writing a book for teachers so that this valuable tool for teaching can be more widely used. Phoebe Belle Press plans to have this book in teachers' hands soon.


A 3rd children's book, Ukulele Mele is also in process, along with a book on tropical fruits that Dr. Treat began when she was teaching school in Jamaica then living on an isolated farm in Costa Rica. Both of these books were set aside for years as Dr. Treat focused on mothering, teaching, earning her doctorate, and then completing Goodbye Sun and, now, The Water Drop Song. As a family-owned small publishing company, Phoebe Belle Press also plans to publish the writings of other family members.  Stay tuned!