Our Books
We help authors make their book dreams come true, guiding them from idea to publications with the support and resources they need to thrive.
Authors & Illustrators
Roda Ahmed, Author
Roda Ahmed is a Norwegian author and columnist born in Hargeisa, Somalia. Roda is the bestselling author of Forberedelsen (The Preparations). Mae Among the Stars is her first children’s book. Inspired by the pioneering African American astronaut Mae Jemison, Mae Among the Stars is the recipient of a starred Kirkus Review, Amazon bestseller, and now in its 6th print. Roda can speak five languages: Somali, Arabic, Norwegian, English, and French. She lives in LA with her husband and two children.
Vera Ahiyya, author
Vera Ahiyya was born in Germany and raised in El Paso, TX with her wonderful mother and amazing grandparents.
Originally a pre-med student, Vera realized her calling as an educator at Austin College in Sherman, TX, where she majored in History and Psychology and earned her MA in Education. Vera has taught Kindergarten and first grade for the last 15 years in Austin, Boston, and Brooklyn. Vera’s unwavering commitment to social justice and diversity is also the focal point of her professional development presentations for other educators.
Vera lives in Brooklyn with her husband Lonnell and her dog, Mozi.
Mona Fakki, AUTHOR
Mona Fakki is an Iranian-American writer who lives in Los Angeles with husband and three beautiful children. She loves to read, write, cook and travel. Mona has dedicated her life to raising balanced, conscious, and happy kids. Family 13 is the first of her three children’s books.
Jessica Mckay, Author
Jessica McKay is an educator living in Los Angeles with her husband and three children. While juggling work, family, and self, Jessica has always saved time to read. As an English teacher, she shared her passion for reading with her students. As a mother, she shares her love of books with her children. And now, as an author, Jessica is sharing her her first book with the world.
Ken PavES, AUTHOR
For nearly 30 years Ken Paves has remained one of the most sought-after and arguably one of the most recognizable hairstylists in the world. Oprah Winfrey called him “the big Kahuna of Hollywood hair.” His work has graced the covers and pages of Vogue and every other major publication around the world, many celebrating Paves himself. In 2013, Ken released his book, “You are Beautiful,” published by Sterling Publications. Ken’s celebrated the voices of 7 powerful women in his life who inspired him to understand the true definition of beauty. In 2015 Paves created and launched the first “multitextural” haircare range and launched it to rave reviews in Walmart.
Leandra Rose, AUTHOR
She holds a BA in Behavioral Science and Elementary education and was an early childhood educator for over 15 years. A certified mindfulness instructor and advanced teacher of Breath of Love, Leandra remains passionate about teaching breathwork and mindfulness practices to adults and children alike. Leandra has taught meditation for over 10 years to people of all ages and has learned the most from working with young children. Their open heartedness, aliveness and curiosity has taught her a lot about healing and empowering adults, especially mothers.
Kelly Rowland, Author
Kelly Rowland is a four-time Grammy® Award–winning singer, songwriter, actress, and television executive producer. As a singer and songwriter, she has sold over 40 million records and has performed both domestically and internationally on sold-out tours. She is a philanthropist who has made the well-being of children a priority. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children.
Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith, Author
Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith is a music and film producer, co-founder of Roc Nation, and philanthropist. A former SVP of A&R at Island Def Jam Records, he worked with many award -winning artists, including Jay-Z, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Shakira, and others. He is an active supporter of the Clara Lionel Foundation and Roc Nation’s social justice initiatives, including The REFORM Alliance and PitCCh. This is his first children’s book.
lanesha tabb, AUTHOR
LaNesha Tabb is a veteran educator from Indianapolis, Indiana, with nearly 20 years of experience in the elementary classroom. Beyond her role as a teacher, LaNesha is a content creator, author, and engaging public speaker. She collaborates with educators nationwide, sharing insights to provide schools with powerful professional development. Her love for learning and literacy provided the perfect platform to begin writing books for educators and children. Outside of work, LaNesha treasures her role as a wife and mother of two beloved children. LaNesha embodies the spirit of lifelong learning and continuous growth, striving to make a positive impact in the lives of students and educators alike. The Gingerbread Diva is her first children’s book.
Anita Cheung, IlLustrator
Anita is a freelance artist based in Vancouver, Canada. She works primarily with traditional media (gouache, coloured pencils, cut paper, etc.) and her illustrations aim to be simple, bright, playful, and thoughtful. As an avid bookworm growing up- she has a special place in her heart for children's books. She is passionate about representation in all aspects of storytelling and believes children should be taken seriously. When she isn't doodling or daydreaming, she is a photographer/ web & graphic designer for small businesses.
Hyera Lee, Illustrator
Hyera Lee is a Toronto based character designer for the TV animation industry and is an illustrator for children's books.
She loves nature, traveling and trying different foods.
Fanny Liem, Illustrator
Fanny Liem is an illustrator based in Jakarta, Indonesia. She has always loved to draw since she was a kid. Fanny loves reading comic books and children’s books. She studied digital art on her own and fell in love doing children’s illustrations. She is so grateful that she now can do jobs that she loves.
Mara Marreiro, Illustrator
Mara Marreiro is an illustrator born and raised in the south of Portugal. She has a BA in Animation Production from The Arts University Bournemouth. Mara loves to play with light and color through her illustrations. In her free time she enjoys going to the beach, riding bikes, and eating birthday cake (her favorite kind of cake).
Emma Pederson, Illustrator
Emma Pedersen is an illustrator working out of Toronto, Canada specializing in children’s illustration, visual storytelling and character design. She is a graduate of OCADU’s drawing and painting program, as well as having obtained a BFA in illustration from Sheridan College. She loves the natural world, every kind of dog, and collecting books that tend to pile up. She grew up reading Grosset and Dunlap’s Famous Dog and Horse Stories (anything with dogs and horses really), Goosebumps, Highlights, Animal Ark, Black Beauty, Calvin and Hobbes, and much more. Although she illustrates primarily for children and loves cute and heartwarming scenes, Emma is a huge fan of horror movies and books and generally spooky things, and would love to illustrate for a fun halloween project!
lenny wen, illustrator
Lenny Wen was born in 1989, Medan, Indonesia. Lenny found her passion for art when she was a child and spent most of her time reading comic books and drawing. Lenny majored in Visual Communication in the University, but is a self-taught illustrator. She worked on visuals for mobile games and advertisement. Lenny has a special love for children’s books.
