I volunteer at my church's Prison Outreach Ministry. On Saturdays (pre-COVID-19), I tutored and mentored youth at a local community-based organization. These children, ages 4-17 years, have parents who are in prison. As a volunteer, I also visited those behind the walls. My first visit was in 2019. While there, I noticed the kids who were visiting their relatives. Most of the kids had a frightened/fearful look on their faces. Some were crying. It was such a disheartening experience. In my work as a children's book author and literacy advocate, I come across many children who have at least one parent who is incarcerated. (According to statistics, 2.7 million children in the USA have at least one parent in prison! Half of them are under the age of 10 years old!) I always hear personal experiences of shame, loneliness, etc., and I was compelled to write this book for these kids. I want to use it as a tool to begin *honest* conversations about incarceration and give them hope for the future and reduce shame and stigma of having an incarcerated parent.
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