I was a small town kid, who felt like I had to keep the best parts of me bottled up because they made me feel different, weird, not the same as the other small town kids. What an uncomfortable feeling for a child to grow up with! When I had my own kids, I vowed to actively encourage them to be themselves, and to help them rock it. You want to play with dolls? Perfect. Dump trucks? Wonderful. You want to wear those polka-dot pants, striped shirt, and cowboy hat? Don’t forget the eye patch!

THAT is what my books are all about: helping kids to not only accept who they are, but to be proud of their unique awesomeness! Books that are colorful and fun, that keep children captivated, and that are simple enough that they can see themselves in the pages. Books that are just as much fun for parents to read as they are for kids. If I can help a child to love something that might be considered different about themselves and to be a little more comfortable in their own skin, while ALSO respecting diversity in others, then I’ll consider myself a success.

Not a child? Don’t have children? Don’t even know a single tiny human? That’s cool, I think you are awesomely unique, and I hope you do too!