From a quiet reading nook to children's bookshelves everywhere

Growing up, my favorite place in the whole world was a small reading corner my grandmother built for me out of old quilts and pillows. It was there, surrounded by stacks of borrowed library books, that I first discovered the magic of stories — how words could carry me to places I'd never been and introduce me to friends I'd never met.

Years later, as a teacher, I noticed something. My most reluctant readers weren't reluctant at all once they found a character who looked like them, sounded like them, or felt like them. That realization changed everything. I started writing the stories I wished I'd had as a kid — stories where every child sees themselves in the pages.

Today, I write picture books that celebrate inclusion, kindness, and the beautiful chaos of being a kid. Because the more friends we welcome, the merrier life becomes.