Books 📚

The following books are for children… and the grown-ups who read to them

A Poem To Girls of Color Around The World

I wrote this book because as a little girl of color, I became enamoured with examples of women that could do anything. I took a lot of inspiration from Lara Croft, Charlie’s Angels, Kim Possible, or Totally Spies. However, it was hard to see myself in these women. There just wasn’t much (if any) content, literature, or media that reinforced girls of color in a multi-layered and multi-faceted light, media that showed our wide range of skills, ability, and complexity, and capability. There are many amazing women of color to look up to that have come before me and many that are shaking the world without much credit, visibility, or representation. I know that there are other girls of color with different textures, shades, ability, and size that longed for books and media that they see themselves in. This fact is one of the things that motivates me to work as hard as I do. I wrote this book to give little girls of all colors, ethnicities, textures, sizes and ability an example of girls like them that can—from creating, to skating, to flying a plane. Girls of Color simply can and they ought to be reminded with more examples.

I want girls to memorize these words so that they will echo for years to come in the same way that I can still recite passages from Shel Silverstine and Dr. Seuss to this day. I want girls and the grown women who read to them to memorize this message so that they never feel reduced, underestimated, put in a box, never feel limited, nor lose sight of what is possible.

The Gifts of a Garden

I wrote this book (inspired by the gardens of my older brother) about the importance of community gardens, regenerative farming, and urban farming. How we grow our food matters. I think this topic is one that is underrepresented in communities that have been overdeveloped. The presence of community gardens in food deserts can have an incredible impact on our health and environment, and a positive impact on community and social cohesion in city areas where access to organic and ethically grown food is scarce. This is also important as basic knowledge for younger generations. There is a beauty and wisdom that happens when we are more connected to food. I hope that more community gardens and more accessible healthy food can become available to the average family and that more youth can learn about how to grow food their own back yards.

The Importance of Looking Silly

In this digital age where we are all becoming increasingly judgemental and seperated, I wanted to write a poem about how important it is for us to embrace what we don’t know and where we can improve. Intolerance is on the rise—not just in relation to bigotry, but even in our interpersonal relationships. I observe hyper-individualism, dwindling social cohesion, and a lack of individual responsibility when we tackle issues on a global level and on the social level. I wanted to write a book that focuses not on the other, but what each of us can do independently to make the world around us better. It is my belief that if every person is capable and open to honest reflection and self-assessment as well as being shown what they do not know, we would have a more socially empathetic, compassionate, and constructive world and better relationships with those around us. I often wonder if the reason we are quick to hurt, dismiss, and judge others exists because we refuse to look inward and confront our worst inner critics with honesty, with compassion, and with openness to making an effort to evolve our own knowledge and beliefs.

The Story of Because

This is a book about anti-bullying, microaggression, and relational aggression. Bullying is more than physical, it is often psychological. It does not go away as we age. I wanted to write a book to the Bully. Often bullies do so as a way of deflection and distraction from their own inner turmoil. Outside of bullying, however,it is critical for us to also be reminded of the greater picture when we talk down and about others. We often are not aware of the world that exists outside of our assumptions of others. This is why it is critical to become strong communicators and to thoughtfully evaluate the reasons why we say and do the things we do.

A Colorful Collection

This book is a collection of The Gifts of a Garden, The Importance of Looking Silly, and The Story of Because.

The Old Man and the Eye

Coming soon!