A local author wants to share her first book with the world, as she feels it's important to hear stories about acceptance, and learning how to be accepting of others.

The Little Belly Dancers Kindness is a children's book by author Maria Vasek, about a young girl who's in the hospital to get her tonsils removed, but experiences feelings of loneliness and isolation because of her darker complexion. 

Vasek says she got the inspiration for the book from her grandmother, who was a nurse in the children’s ward.

“There was one young girl, and she was trying to get the attention of the other children, and so her grandmother came to visit her and brought her a gift, and that gift helped her too get their attention… I don’t know if I should say too much (laughs)…she did like a dance for them… and it really inspired them and really helped them, to get over what they are going through in the hospital.”

The present is something that holds traditions and customs, which allows the girl to tell her story of bringing happiness and joy to others.

She says she hopes her story, which took her about a year and half to complete.

“I would try and write almost every day. I’d try and write either in the morning or after my daughter goes to bed, just to give me more time… I like creating a magical moment in a story, like what the character is thinking, and then maybe hopefully somebody can relate to it.”

Vasek hopes parents will read this book to their children. Vasek was inspired to start writing a children's book after volunteering to read in her daughter's pre-k class. 7 years later, Vasek named and based the main character in the story after her daughter, Joelle.

Maria Vasek and her daughter Joelle

She says she hopes readers walk away with a message of acceptance and not judging others based on their appearance after reading her book.

“We can’t judge each other and we have to give each other a chance because you could be missing out on a friendship! So hopefully my book will inspire people and hopefully, it will touch people too.”

"The Little Belly Dancers Kindness" is now available online here at Maria's website, Waskasoo Forest News and Fun.