Rowen and the Animal Shelter follows a young boy who discovers how animal shelters care for homeless pets—and how he can make a difference—after finding a stray dog near his home. What draws you to write children’s literature?

I volunteer for the Louisiana State Animal Response Team (LSART) and decided one of the things I wanted to do for prevention was to help educate on pet preparedness, care, and what shelters do. I decided to develop educational tools for kids after thinking about how firefighters influence families to make a fire plan by talking to kids, who, in turn, go home and start asking their parents what their plan is.

How did you develop Rowen as a character, and is he inspired by anyone in particular?

Rowen is actually my young son. One of the most fulfilling things as a mom has been watching him grow and be curious about the world around him as he discovers new things. I mimicked the character after Rowen-curious and always wanting to help.

How did you balance educational information with storytelling?

I wanted there to be a story that kids want to hear the ending of, while also teaching them without being tramatic or sad. So I decided to follow the natural flow as it might happen in real life with the character asking questions that I often hear when I do presentations.

What do you think children can teach adults about compassion toward animals?

I try to focus on actionable steps people can take. For example, making sure our pets have a safe home and vet care. How pets are viewed, and the standards of care, have changed a lot, just as our own system has. I also wanted to show that anyone can make an impact with small acts of volunteering. So to me, it’s more about actions than teaching how to feel compassion.

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