Releases May 26th, 2026
Hydra's Baby Steps to Teen Dreams
🌙 A Coming-of-Age Story Your Kids Will Want to Read Again and Again:
Far away from Earth, on the moon's silver craters, live the Foxolotls… magical creatures who look like a cross between foxes and axolotls. Young Hydra has grown up surrounded by love, but all she can see are the boundaries her parents keep placing around her world.
What she doesn't yet understand is why those boundaries exist. Her parents have survived things Hydra can barely imagine: enslavement, loss, and battles that should have ended much worse than they did. Every rule they set carries the weight of hard-won wisdom. But wisdom isn't something you can hand to someone. It has to be earned.
When Hydra decides she knows better and ventures out on her own, the moon wastes no time proving otherwise.
Perfect for young readers who love fantasy and adventure, Hydra's Baby Steps to Teen Dreams is a heartfelt follow-up to A Foxolotl's Heroic Quest of Bravery. Filled with moonlit wonder, real danger, and timeless lessons about trust and growing up, this is a story both kids and parents will feel in their bones.
Sneak Peek Into the Story...
She Just Wants to Be Free
Hydra has spent her whole life inside the Tycho crater while the rest of the moon stretches out beyond the ridges. Her parents mean well. But meaning well and doing right aren't always the same thing. As Hydra grows from a curious cub into a restless teenager, something inside her begins demanding more than four walls and good intentions.
The Diamond Moonrock Is Out There Somewhere
Only one Foxolotl alive has ever found one. That Foxolotl happens to be her father, Mevvy. So, when Hydra starts sneaking out at night to search for a diamond moonrock of her own, she isn't just chasing a legend. She's chasing a way to prove she's ready for the world her parents have been trying so hard to protect her from.
The Moon Doesn't Care How Old You Are
Moonquakes don't announce themselves, asteroids don't aim and the remnants of Diablo's followers are still out there somewhere. When the dangers Hydra was warned about her whole life finally find her, she learns in an instant what her parents never could have taught her inside the safety of their cave.
Meet the author
Harlyn Unruh
Harlyn Unruh grew up as an imaginative and curious child, often lost in his own world of adventures and daydreaming. This natural creativity laid the foundation for his future as a children's book series author. Harlyn holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Northeastern State University and is a former COO/CFO of a top rated mortgage brokerage.
He currently owns a business called H.E.A.L. that helps people buy and refinance homes, offers small business consulting services, and he is also a Notary Signing Agent for a local Title & Escrow company in Jenks, OK. Known for his leadership and dedication to serving others, he is passionate about training and developing people to become great future leaders.
Harlyn's inspiration to write children's books comes from his three beautiful daughters—Mia, Adley, and Briley. Bedtime stories and lullabies shared with his girls sparked the creation of his beloved characters called Foxolotls. These whimsical creatures blend the traits of Foxes and Axolotls. Together with his wife Sarah, they strive to instill values of faith, friendship, courage, love, and joy in their family life.
Come join Harlyn and his family as they embark on a magical journey and book series called The Foxolotls of the Moon. Your family will read about faith, science, folklore, and the moon while becoming engulfed in a universe brimming with wonder and adventure.
Behind The Inspiration
Harlyn’s passion for storytelling started early in life, when teachers and family constantly praised his vivid imagination and knack for bringing characters to life. Creative writing awards, childhood adventures, and countless “you should write a book” moments planted the seed years ago.
But it wasn’t until becoming a father that those stories began to take shape. Reading bedtime tales with his daughters—using silly voices, weaving in life lessons, and watching their eyes light up—inspired the magical world of the Foxolotls.
"The Foxolotls of the Moon" book series was written straight from the heart, blending imagination, values, and adventure into stories that families can enjoy together. It's a tribute to the belief that bedtime and children's stories still have the power to change the world one child at a time.
