Readora From BookTropolis is an engaging alphabet book for young readers that presents each sports-related letter through haiku-style verses framed by the tale of Readora, a reading superhero. What drew you to using haiku-style verses for each sport?

I have been writing poetry since childhood. Haiku is a style of written communication that allows a person to say a lot with few words. Kids have short attention spans, so telling a story or teaching lesson plans in short rhythmic form is an easier and more fun approach to reaching them rather than straight conversation. Plus, an impactful or sensible haiku statement (poetry/rap) is easy to remember. Also, my voice is Readora’s voice in the readings.

Do you have a personal favorite sport featured in the book?

My favorite sport in the book is chess because it requires critical thinking, strategy, focus, and concentration. These are life-long skills that children can learn as youngsters and apply to everything they do in the future.

The artwork in your book is wonderful. Can you share a little about your collaboration with illustrators Heyjuly and Kesab Karmakar?

I found both illustrators on a design platform and posted an RFP of my requirements. More than 20 artists sent designs. The first request was for the Readora from BookTropolis character. Among other specifications, I provided a younger photo of myself so the character can be created in my image. Intellectual property rights are critical, so I wanted to ensure that my face is the only one the designers would reference. All other designs were created based on the content of each sport in the book, with the use of AI prompts, with Kesab Karmakar contributing several sports illustrations as well.

How do you hope parents, teachers, or librarians will use this book with children?

This book is the first in a series of books called the Readora from BookTropolis Learning Series. The intent is for parents, teachers, and librarians to use this book and all others to come as a method of teaching younger readers their alphabet, introducing them to various sports, both traditional and those not as well known, and through the haiku style of writing, teaching children to read and comprehend while viewing the vibrant illustrations.

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