May I Sit at Your Table? follows a second-grade girl who is deaf and experiences a transformative moment when her teacher introduces American Sign Language, sparking her goal to connect with her peers. Why was this an important book for you to write?

At one of my brother’s neurodiverse basketball games, I experienced a pivotal moment. While signing “hello” and “good job” to a Deaf teammate on my brother’s team, his father, moved to tears, approached me and shared how meaningful it was to see someone communicate with his son. This encounter inspired me to become fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) and the culture. I’ve always been concerned about bullying and exclusion, and my research disclosed that Deaf children are often victims. I wanted a book that would promote empathy and inclusion of this ostracized community.

The art in the book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Samuel Gross?

Thank you for your kind comment! It was truly a work of love. Sam is my brother. He is 14 years older than me, and he suffers from autism. I worked with him in creating the sketches for the book by reading the book to him over and over and then explaining the specific storyline on each page. He then would interpret those events and draw the scene in pencil. It’s fascinating to watch him draw because he holds the pencil in his fist and never picks the pencil off the page when drawing. It’s also amazing to see the world through his eyes. I then traced the drawings in pen and added color and shading.

Doing the illustrations was one of the highlights of Sam’s life. It has bolstered his self-esteem and brought him great happiness. It has also brought us closer together.

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

My book is more than a children’s book; it’s a social story about how to accept people who are different. Here, a young Deaf girl is ostracized by her peers because she is seen as “different.” It’s my belief that these actions are simply a result of a lack of knowledge. I wanted to show that educating grade school children about diverse communication styles fosters empathy and teaches inclusiveness.

Another key theme is that exclusion often occurs in less supervised settings like school lunchrooms.

Finally, I wanted to explore the often-private nature of the pain caused by exclusion. Children, like the character Abby in my book, may feel reluctant to express their hurt and only confide in their families. Abby’s experience highlights the importance of attentive and caring teachers who can recognize and address such issues, offering support where it’s needed most.

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

My next book has already been published. It is titled, May I Come to Your Party? and is about a young boy who suffers from autism and is never invited to parties, and he invites everyone to his birthday parties, but no one ever comes. Here is an Amazon link: May I Come to Your Party? I also have a website with more information: Grace Wolf Books

Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon