Little Mouse, Big Message: Help Pesto Empower Young Minds!

Hi! My name is Willa Prawer, and I am a sophomore at New Roads School in Santa Monica, California. Throughout the year, I have been working on an independent study project. This project has two components: (1) I am writing a research paper about how picture books affect the social-emotional development of children, and (2) I am writing, illustrating, and publishing a children's book. It's been a wild ride, but I'm finally putting the finishing touches on it!

What is my book about, you ask? It's about a small mouse named Pesto who is upset with his size and wishes to look more like his peers. He tries several ways to make himself bigger, but none of them work, and he is left feeling defeated. That is when his mom reminds him that he is perfect the way he is, and there is so much more to life than one's size. Pesto then realizes that he loves himself just the way he is and doesn't need to change to feel confident. I believe this is a foundational message, and I wanted to share it in a fun and engaging format so that kids can easily grasp the moral.

I am raising money to publish my book and donate copies to elementary schools with limited library budgets around the country. I think this is important because after spending all of 10th grade learning about the benefits of reading and discussing books at a young age, I have realised that every child should have access to these resources for self-discovery.

And on a more intimate level, I know from personal experience that it is common for kids to feel insecure about their bodies as they go through adolescence. I know that if I had a book, such as my own, at a young age, I would have felt more comfortable in my skin later on. This is a magical thing about books: kids can relate to stories and use them to navigate problems in their own lives.

Thank you so much for your support!