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HEARTS FULL OF HOPE
Hearts Full of Hope follows Aiden, Ming, Vani, Sulo, and Bruno around the world as they do their part to save lives just by staying home. Children will recognize their own experiences and emotions as they see children around the world play board games, read books, attend virtual school, bake banana bread, and hold their families close.
“Our hearts are full of hope. If we all work together, the world will rise again!”
PALM TREES UNDER SNOW
Growing up, Maya was surrounded by palm trees, the ocean breeze, and a big extended family. Maya’s life takes a turn as she witnesses her beautiful island being destroyed by the war. Maya’s parents decide to immigrate to another country to find peace and safety. When she arrives in the new country, Maya can’t speak the language and no one at school wants to be her friend. Will Maya ever feel a sense of belonging in her new home?
WORDS ARE POWERFUL MERCHANDISE
Our words have so much power, and we don’t even realize it. Your words have the ability to transform your life and the life of others. It is through the use of her words that Maya gains power in Palm Trees Under Snow. I want to inspire children to use their words. Speak up for what they believe in. Stand up for themselves and others. I want them to believe that their words matter because it does! Let’s spread this important message!
Words are Powerful merchandise now available in our SHOP!
IN THE MEDIA
Palm Trees Under Snow has been making many headlines! Check the Media section to view some great outlets that have covered the book!
THE LAUNCH
The launch of Palm Trees Under Snow was held on Friday, March 12th. It was huge success! Thank-you to everyone that joined us. I was beyond happy! It was a celebration of diversity, inclusion, and a sense of belonging!
Thank-you Naresh Sritharan and Vangie Kirkos for being such amazing hosts! Thank-you to York Region School Board Trustee, Juanita Nathan for taking the time out of her busy schedule to review the book and to attend the launch. Thank you Author Brendilynn MA, Carolyn Rendulich, Tasia, Divya, and Abish for doing an amazing review of the book for me!
Thank-you to my social media community for your support! Your shares, likes, comments, and messages have really helped me to grow. Thank-you for your constant love! Palm Trees Under Snow has reached many people because of your love. Please continue to help to get Maya’s story out there! Palm Trees Under Snow encourages empathy and compassion and addresses the themes of diversity, inclusion, and tolerance.
AUTHOR JOURNEY
To become a successful independent author, l learned fairly early that I must meet the standards of books produced by traditional publishers. My book is a product that I will be putting out into the world in the hands of many children! This requires me to give a great deal of thought to every element of my books’ production; from editing and proofreading to spending countless hours with the illustrator going over my vision to cover design, formatting, and marketing.
This has been a tough journey! Many roadblocks, hurdles, and unexpected circumstances thrown my way! However, this has been such a rewarding journey as I know many children around the world will enjoy my book! I am looking forward to writing many more books.
BELONGING
Stories touch us most when we see ourselves reflected in the characters. Until very recently, the vast majority of characters in children’s books were white. In 2018, only 23% of children’s books featured non-white characters. Even though in countries like United States and Canada more than half of the children in 2020 will identify themselves as being of non-white ethnicity. Students in diverse classrooms get a boost of self-esteem when they read or hear books in which their cultures or ethnicities are represented and celebrated. It’s a proud moment to see parts of your own life showcased.
Children start to feel a sense of belonging! In our multicultural world, it is important to teach empathy to our children at a young age. Empathy involves understanding, respecting and placing value on another person’s perspective. Children’s books are a great way to introduce an entirely new point of view, a different way of life, and also address important life topics with our kids. My mission is to write books that allow children to feel a sense of belonging!
WRITE YOUR OWN STORY
Growing up as a minority in Canada, it was very hard for me to relate to the books I read because the kids in the books never looked like me! Even though, I loved reading, I had a difficult time relating to the characters. In the last few years, I have noticed a growth in children’s picture books where the characters are more reflective of different colours and cultures.
Hopefully, over time every child can pick up a book and see themselves, their heritage, their ethnicity, their features, and everything in between reflected. I can’t wait to share my story with all of you!!!
REPRESENTATION
For far too long, children's books that featured culturally diverse characters were hard to find. However, that has changed significantly in the last few years. My goal is to write books that represent a variety of cultural backgrounds. This helps to inspire and create impact! It’s important for kids to make connections with the lives of the characters and see themselves in their stories!
I believe that kids need to see people who look like them. They need to see challenges they have faced and the obstacles they have overcome. It’s also a great way for us to learn about each other and our stories. To see our similarities and differences represented through books! This will allow us to embrace each other and to live in peace and harmony!