
JP: I am a mom of three vibrant and happy children (9,8,8). My mission as an author is to teach young children about self-compassion and respect. I believe true kindness and happiness come from loving and accepting who we are, just the way we are. What a wonderful gift we have, to talk to our children that everyone is unique and special.
BBB: What inspired your book, I Am Tooki ?
JP: Just like most parents, having my first child changed my life and my perspective on life. For the first time in my life, I saw everyone as somebody’s precious child, just as my daughter was so special to me. This seemingly obvious but profound realization made me want to express and teach the concept of self-compassion to young children. It took me almost ten years to actually figure out how I can express my idea based on the new perspective as a new parent.

JP: The book’s main character is a red owl named Tooki, who is wise and friendly. Tooki teaches children to love themselves unconditionally, recognize their own uniqueness, and treat others with kindness. Tooki follows Dr. Seuss-style approach of accepting our children just the way they are.
BBB: Tell us about your illustrations.
JP: I used to love painting with watercolors as a child but I quit painting almost 30 years ago when it didn’t feel like it was fun anymore. I had such a strong desire to create this book using my art but I didn’t know where to start. So…I watched countless “how to paint” videos on youtube and practiced painting for about a year. I feel grateful for the tips and lessons I learned from the youtube videos. I truly love the warmth and beauty of the watercolor effect. I hoped to capture small but special moments as a parent with my painting. I created this book with lots of love and joy, which is why they are in bright and cheerful colors. I hope readers will enjoy looking at each page.
BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
JP: www.iamtooki.com or
Amazon link here:
http://www.amazon.com/Tooki-Book-about-Being-You/dp/1533021589/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1465096085&sr=8-1&keywords=i+am+tooki