Ouch, You Hit Me follows a young schoolgirl who, after an incident in the sand bin, aims to navigate and resolve interpersonal conflicts, showcasing the importance of communication over physical reactions. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

The inspiration behind the story came from my 5-year-old daughter and the conflicts she was having at school. She struggled a lot with speaking up for herself, and I realized this was a conversation we were having often. I noticed that if she struggled with it then I’m sure others did as well. So I decided to write a book about it to make it a teachable topic.

The art in the book is charming. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Lalsho Bujer?

I found Lalsho on Fiver. It was difficult at times because she is located in a different country, so we had a big time difference, but overall her work is amazing and we pushed past obstacles.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

A few themes that were important to me are conflict resolution between children, teachers modeling language for children, and lastly kindness and forgiveness.

What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?

The next book I am working on is titled We’re All Friends–a story about a boy named Knox and the valuable lesson he learns to include others when playing. He learns through a teachable moment that it is okay to have more than one friend in Pre-K. It will be available this upcoming May.

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