What will Kentucky Book Festival visitors find on your table?

On my table you will find my very first book, We All Count, along with posters and stickers that go along with the book.  At my table you will of course find me, the author, but you will also find the very talented illustrator, Derek King.

Whom do you invite to stop by? Who will benefit from reading your book?

I invite all young children to stop by for an autographed copy, along with the parents, grandparents, friends, caregivers, and teachers of these children. We All Count is a counting book that also shares the message that every child has value, regardless of race, country of origin, physical characteristics, or abilities.

Could you please tell us something curious about you and/or your book?

Do you believe in fortune tellers? I encountered one on a trip to Armenia in 2019 who told me, “You have an important story to tell, and you need to write this story and share it with many.” At that moment, I was unaware of the “important story” that I would write, but that’s exactly what I did in 2020. During the dark days of that year, I felt an urgent need to write a positive message for children, and that’s how We All Count came to be. All children everywhere need to know that each of them has value – that each one of them counts – regardless of what they look like, where they are from, or what language they speak. I feel the same urgency today to spread this message as far and wide as I can.

Is this your first time participating in Kentucky Book Festival? If yes – what are you looking forward to the most? If you’ve participated before – what was your favorite experience at the Festival?

I am beyond thrilled to be a part of the Kentucky Book Festival for the first time – and with my first book! I am looking forward to meeting children and their families interested in my book, and I am especially excited to meet the many talented authors who will be there with me.