Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah London.
Hi Leah, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, let’s briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My venture into children’s literature started as a heartfelt way to help my kids fall asleep independently. At bedtime, we’d pick a place we’d love to visit, talk about the animals living there, and imagine having a picnic with them. What would a bear bring to our picnic? Or a fox? We’d giggle over our creative guesses, blending fun with learning about the actual place and making bedtime a dreamy adventure. These stories encouraged using their imagination, making learning fun, and building confidence. During this nightly bonding time, I strengthened our connection, making learning a loving and enjoyable part of their lives. It also helped them feel more comfortable and confident in getting to sleep. The roots of these stories stretch back to my childhood, a time of great adventure and significant loss.
After my mother passed away when I was very young, my father and I traveled all over the U.S. during the ’70s. We’d drive from one state to another, camping on beaches and diving into quarries, turning each day into a live lesson on the natural world. Whether it was him teaching me how cotton is turned into fabric by pulling over on the road to walk me into a cotton field in Alabama or talking about farming while enjoying fresh peaches under the summer sun in Georgia’s orchards, my dad had a unique way of turning these experiences into fun, practical lessons. Those journeys sparked my curiosity and showed me the joy of learning in the most unconventional ways—a passion that profoundly influences my writing.
Drawing on these vivid memories and my background in science and psychology, I created Our Dreaming Place: The Arctic©. This book and those that will follow are designed to be as inclusive as possible, allowing any child to see themselves in the stories. The tales feature a picnic where characters imagine the foods different animals might bring, blending a fun, interactive element with educational content. By not specifying the child’s gender and introducing caretakers of various forms, I strive to reflect the diversity of family structures, recognizing that ‘family’ is defined by love and nurturing rather than conventional norms.
The positive response to these initial stories encouraged me to expand them into a series. Each book will aim to open young readers’ eyes to the world’s wonders, fostering a sense of connectedness, building emotional resilience, and, hopefully, easing their fears of falling asleep. This project is about storytelling and instilling a lifelong love of learning and a confident, creative mindset in children. It’s a continuation of the legacy of curiosity and adventure that my father instilled in me, a legacy I hope to pass on through each page.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Becoming a published children’s author has been an adventure with many challenges. Creating children’s books, especially those filled with vibrant artwork and intricate details, comes with costs to produce, print, and promote. I’ve had the fantastic opportunity to collaborate with a talented local artist and social media expert, whose contributions have been invaluable, but my author budget remains modest. I didn’t embark on this path for significant financial gain but to share my passion and earn enough to continue creating new books. Alongside my day job as a project manager, I’ve ventured into making social media content for this book—an area quite different from the traditional media of commercials I grew up watching! The landscape of social media advertising is a continuous learning experience. Time is another challenge in book production and crafting engaging social media content. Despite these obstacles, each step has been profoundly rewarding, offering continual growth and unexpected opportunities to learn and evolve.
What does success mean to you?
For me, success isn’t so much about material achievements but the resilience to overcome obstacles and the impact one makes on others. Volunteering during Literacy Week in Florida and reading to over a thousand children was a profound experience that reinforced my definition of success—sparking curiosity and joy in learning among young minds.
Pricing:
- $24.99 Hardcover
- $12.99 Paperback
- $2.99 Digital
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ourdreamingplace.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leahlondonbooks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leahlondonbooks
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@leahlondonbooks
