Children’s book author Dr. Simarjeet Kaur Sandhu, or Dr. Simi, as she likes to be called, recalls as a young child reading books in bookstores, libraries, and classrooms, but that the stories did not include characters that looked like her or that spoke of her cultural or religious background. A lifelong lover of reading and writing, she realized as an adult that she wanted to help young readers have a different experience and so she writes children’s stories to spread awareness, particularly for those of Sikh background.
As a child, Dr. Simi experienced a lot of bullying and discrimination, particularly after the 9-11 attacks, by people confusing Sikhs for those related to the Taliban or Osama Bin Laden. In part, this drove her to her journey as an educator of young children, teaching English as a second language, so that she could help build a learning environment that is accepting of people of all backgrounds.

Dr. Simi believes a good book is one where the reader can close their eyes and picture the story and relate to its characters.