Meet the Authors
Laura and Allison have a 20+ year friendship that has become uniquely connected through adoption.
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Allison Olson
Being both an adoptee and an adoptive parent, Allison Olson has a unique perspective on the topic of adoption. Her goal is to change the adoption narrative from the “lucky" child to the “loved" child.
In preparing for the adoption of her youngest daughter she purchased all the well-known children’s adoption books on the market, but felt they were all missing some key elements. She wanted to write a book that showed all of the love that surrounds the adoptee from both the birth and adoptive families. The goal of the book “Surrounded by Love” is to help build confidence and self-esteem in young adoptees.
Her second book “My Friend was Adopted” was designed to help educate young friends and family members of adoptees about open adoption in a fun playful gentle manner that helps to answer children’s frequently asked questions.
Being born in 1979, Allison was part of a closed adoption which is why she wants to celebrate open adoption and make sure there are children’s adoption books that reflective the birth mother and family in a positive light to help normalize this loving relationship.
Allison lives in Oregon with her husband, two daughters, and their adventurous cat named Howie Meowie.
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Laura Khoury
Laura Khoury is an adoptive mother of two beautiful girls. In addition, she and her husband have embraced the fostering of young children and offering respite care for other foster families. They adopted their first child through private adoption in 2011, then continued their journey by adopting through foster care in 2016. The two experiences were quite different, even though both were ultimately full of love and inspiration.
Laura feels deeply passionate about creating stories about foster care and adoption as a way to encourage children to talk about their personal stories. It is Laura’s belief that all children should know where they come from and feel a sense of pride in their story.
Laura is a former educator with experience in preschool and first grade. She is currently working for her local parish and writing curriculum for religious education. She loves children’s literature and feels energized and right at home when writing about her passion.
Laura and her family currently live in a small town in Michigan where they love being outdoors all year round. They enjoy fishing, skiing, hiking, and just relaxing with a book on the boat or at the beach.
Meet the Creatives
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Darlee Urbiztondo
ILLUSTRATOR
Darlee Urbiztondo also known as Happylee is a multi-disciplinary Filipino creative based in the Philippines. She is an art extraordinaire proficient in digital illustrations, painting, calligraphy, graphic design, and traditional art.
This book is not just any other artwork for her, she did not just put her imagination here but also her full heart for she also has a big brother who is adopted and love so much. She is a family oriented person and she admires all the families who extends their love not just by blood.
She believes that art is extension of herself and soul, and that learning is a never-ending story and journey: she continuously strives to learn new things and endeavors to keep improving her works. By creating magical and whimsical inspired pieces, she creates happiness for herself and elegantly hopes to impart this happiness into the viewer as well. She is a proud old soul, enjoys a good cup of coffee, books, good movies, tv shows, anime and singing.
To find out more about her and reach her, visit www.thehappylee.com
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Hannah Rhodes
ILLUSTRATOR
Hannah Rhodes is a professional fine artist who excels in traditional illustration, realism drawing, painting, and textile art. She is from a small town and creates in her home studio in Michigan.
Hannah’s goal as an artist is to use her talent for others, helping people capture their favorite memories in a timeless way, so when they look at her artwork, they may relive those experiences again and again. This book is based on a true story of incredible families in Hannah’s community, and she is honored to be a part of bringing this touching story of mighty Mallory Mouse to life.
Hannah loves experiencing the art all around her, keeping in mind that beauty comes in simple ways every day. She stays inspired through travel, music, ballet, and the art community. She loves learning from others, through observation, and from experiences. She’s an eclectic soul, who enjoys a hot cup of tea, classical music and long conversation.
To learn more about Hannah or contact her, visit www.rhodeware.com.
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Sarah Alexander
DESIGN & MARKETING
Sarah Alexander is an experienced creative director with a varied background in design and advertising. She has brought innovative solutions to life for clients big and small for over 17 years.
Sarah is a Cincinnati native and a Chicago transplant. She lives in the near west burbs and enjoys copious amounts of coffee, reruns of The Office and walks in the woods with her family.
