You Are…Volume One is a collection of poems designed to help young children define and better understand some of life’s most meaningful concepts while providing parents with a tool for building connections through discussions. What inspired you to write this collection of poems?

After the birth of my first son, I realized the importance of speaking life into his life and reminding him of all the great things he can be and is in the world. I wanted to help him understand the meaning of these important words and believe the positive affirmations I was telling him. I developed the idea for the You Are series through these realizations and wanted to create the books to help myself and other parents and caregivers be able to share these inspiring words with the special children in their lives.

How did you decide on the unique title for this collection?

This title was derived from the “affirmations” in each virtue described in the books. Since each short poem within the books begins with “What does it mean when I say you are…?” It was only natural to name the stories “You Are…” Each volume of the series will have the same name with new virtues defined and described through poems and whimsical, watercolor illustrations.

What is one thing you would like both children and adults to take away from your book?

The mission of the You Are… series is to teach children (and adults) the meaning of some of life’s most important words. They are meant to help adults share these important truths with children to help them comprehend and believe all the wonderful things they are in life. It is a great way to build connection with your children, spend quality time, and have important, meaningful conversations. Through the descriptions and definitions, my hope is children and families can re-read these selections over and over and remember all the wonderful things they are through life with a deeper understanding of their significant meaning.

Can you tell us a little bit about what readers can expect in Volume 2?

Volume Two follows the same themes and formatting as Volume One, with new words and characters described and defined. Volume Two’s highlighted words are: Strong, Important, Courageous, and Creative. With the orange, yellow cover depicting the “strong” elephant walking in the savannah sunset, brown bears representing important, courageous lions, and creative dolphins. Each story also includes discussions questions for each word, as well as journal pages to reflect on what the words mean to the readers.

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