Reading to my kids has always been one of my favorite things to do. I’m not much of a crafter, and imaginary play drives me a little bonkers. But reading? That’s my parenting sweet spot. When they were little, we would snuggle into a rocker every single night and read together. And while it was definitely a precious bonding time for us, it was also so beneficial for their little brains! Studies show that reading to our little ones has so many benefits and really is the foundation of a lifelong literacy journey and love of reading. It helps build their vocabularies and cultivate their imaginations and storytelling skills.
When mom of two and Texas native Ashley Wall set out to start her publishing company, MamaBear Books, she focused on all those benefits. MamaBear Books is a new publishing company specializing in children’s picture books aimed to enhance imagination and foster a lifelong love of reading! It’s also an inspiration to parents who love to create their own stories for kids!
After graduating from Baylor with an education degree, Ashley taught middle school math for 10 years. She has always been a passionate reader and writer and when she became a stay at home mom to her little boy and girl, they read thousands of books together. All the while, Ashley and her husband kept talking about writing their own children’s book. She constantly found inspiration in her own children- from the books they read to the adventures they had. As her kids grew (now her daughter is almost 5 and her son is 3), she knew she wanted a career again and began praying for direction. In August of last year, she wrote her very first book. Her husband was completely supportive. They wanted to publish the book themselves but also support other parents with the same passion for writing. With this in mind, they founded MamaBear Books, with the goal of inspiring and motivating other parents to write while also creating and publishing captivating picture books with lovable characters and positive messages.
For Ashley’s first book, she dreamed up an idea about a group of friends who have larger than life adventures with real things that kids love, starting with construction vehicles! That book, The Day I Had a Bulldozer, was recently released and has been positively reviewed by industry leaders such as Kirkus, Booklife, The Midwest Book Review, and The Online Book Club. It is also an award finalist with The Readers’ Choice Book Award and will be featured in upcoming issues of Kirkus Magazine and Publisher’s Weekly. It’s a fun-filled friendship story about construction vehicles that kids love. The main character, Luke, can’t believe his eyes when he looks from his window and sees a bulldozer outside…with his name on it! He feels like the luckiest boy in the world vrooming around with his best buddy, his dog Bobo. But the fun is only getting started when his friends ride in on a dump truck, steamroller, and excavator. It’s a sweet story about kindhearted friends and their adventurous construction adventure.
MamaBear Books now has three books available to purchase with more to come! There will be five more books and a total of six authors coming in 2024. Ashley hopes her books will inspire children’s love for reading, develop their imaginations, and encourage acts of kindness and friendship. Check out their website for more information on MamaBear Books and order your own copies on Amazon now!
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