Friends, this is a HUGE day for me!

I have the stratospheric joy of announcing the June 23rd arrival of my first-ever children’s book, HERE and NOW and SMALL and CLOSE, which you can PREORDER NOW!

And here is the absolutely beautiful cover art by award-winning Canadian illustrator Stacey Chomiak!

HNSC is a hopeful, spirited, heartfelt reminder of the ability each of us has in making the world a more compassionate and loving place.

I am always someone. I am always somewhere. I can always do something.

The story:

Through a joyful and meandering journey, a diverse cast of characters from disparate places encounter one another, as they each learn how easy it is to do something powerful right where they are, without delay.

Their trip together culminates in a vibrant depiction of what happens when everyone does the little bits that they can, as our friends’ individual offerings bring on a big, beautiful collective celebration.

HERE and NOW and SMALL and CLOSE explores themes of identity, empathy, meaning, and community in a way that speaks to children of every age.

This has been so long in coming! HNSC has been a dream of mine for nearly a decade, and once I met Stacey, I knew I’d found someone who could tell this story visually in a way that no one else could. It’s truly a thing of beauty!

The book will be accompanied by an interactive group guide developed by me for families, classrooms, and libraries, to help readers make the concepts of the book come to life where they are; to take the ideas right from the pages and into their communities!

For years, I’ve told adults that they always have two things: proximity to need and agency to do something about it. The book reinterprets that sentiment so that even the youngest person can find their place and feel their power.

These are dark and terrifying times, and I hope that my words, along with Stacey’s gorgeous images, will bring people the light and hope we all need right now.

I Need YOUR Help!

I am humbly asking you to preorder the book today, share the news with your circles, and help send this book into the world so that a generation of kids and adults can remember that good people still inhabit this place—and they are these people!

Thank you all for creating this amazing community along with me and for helping me make this dream a reality!

John