Meet a nervous woodchuck, a misbehaving squirrel, a playful bunny, and a mouse who won't stay out of the house. What do they all have in common? They come into the yard under the garden gate. The amusing antics of these and other little creatures are uniquely captured by Thistle in verse and illustration in "Under the Garden Gate". There are 10 stories that highlight 19 characters in the yard.   The stories are perfect for children and anyone with a love for animals and nature.  They can be read individually or all at once.

The cover illustration is of Samantha, a feral cat who had kittens under Thistle's front porch.  A real-life picture of Samantha, in Thistle's house, is on the back.  Red is a mouse who was named for the color mark he got to tell him apart from the other mice getting into Thistle's house in winter.