When my daughter, Sarah, was younger and still in school, she told me someone was bullying her. The Mama Bear in me, of course, became angry. Then she told me how common it was happening to other kids at school and it became evident. Our society had a problem.
So I decided to write a story for young children stressing the importance of faith, kindness, self-acceptance, and how everyone is created with a purpose. We need to remember to see ourselves the way God does, not how the world does.
I wrote Gamàl back in 2015 and was ready to publish it then, yet a story for children comes across more vividly with pictures. I knew I needed an illustrator to bring Gamàl to life; however, I was very selective, and only one illustrator would do, my daughter, Sarah. Since she was still in high school at the time, she wasn’t quite ready to take on the challenge of illustrating a children’s book with her mom. So I decided to wait because she was the only artist I was willing to consider.
When I proposed the idea to her again earlier this summer, I was overjoyed when she agreed to do the drawings and asked if her girlfriend, Rebecca, could work on the book with us. Not one but two incredibly talented artists working on my book? How could I possibly refuse? Imagine my good fortune, as the shepherd in Gamàl also declares!
We are very proud to share this collaboration of faith, acceptance, love, and kindness with you.
Click here to order your copy today!
Much love, Vicki, Sarah, and Rebecca
