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We are so excited to welcome in our big leader feature today, Rella Books.
And Rella, would you like to tell us a little bit about yourself?
Yes, I'd love to.
My name is Rella B. Books, and I like to write children's books.
I like to create content for kids.
And I love to make sure that kids know that they are loved and that they love themselves.
Oh, I love that.
What led you to creating Rella Books?
So I have a little one and she is three and I wanted to create content that I wanted her to consume.
So I love reading her books.
She absolutely loves listening to different stories.
So I decided to start writing stories.
And then I figured that I could read stories and be really animated with kids online as well and have a little show.
So I started creating a visual story time.
And then I also have a podcast with an audio story time, where authors come on and read their stories to us too.
I have seen your YouTube channel and your visual ones, and you are a natural.
I can understand why you would do that for your daughter.
And she just must love watching what you create.
It's so funny because at first when I was building the brand like getting the clothes and all these things she was like what is this?
And I was like, it's going to be Rella B. She's like, Rella B.
And I would have her try to sit down and watch the show.
And she was just kind of all over the place.
She didn't really care.
But now that I've been doing it for a couple months now, she's like, I'm so excited.
Like, let me watch Rella Bee.
It's so cute.
You're a role model to her.
You can tell already.
That is awesome.
Can you describe the impact that you're hoping your podcast and YouTube channel and books will have on kids and families?
Definitely.
So one thing that I feel like I've struggled with is just doing everything so quickly.
I feel like there's not enough time in the day and sometimes there's not enough time to just read for enjoyment or sit down and enjoy a story, or you're doing something while you're listening to something or while you're watching something.
I want to be able to provide a brain break and just have kids sit down chill, stretch a little bit, have a fun riddle, be engaged and then just listen to a story time and actually think about what they learned in the story as well.
So I'm really hoping that they pull a joy of reading like straight from the content.
Well, coming from someone who has taught for such a long time, you couldn't ask for a nicer way to go about increasing an interest in reading.
That's lovely.
Can you describe a time when you knew that your audience was truly connecting growing, and you, in your heart, knew you have made the right choice to pursue this?
Definitely.
So when I just started, I was getting a lot of like, maybe like I'll look into your stuff.
We'll see.
And then shortly after, maybe my fifth video or so.
So about a month and a half in, people were like, wow, like this is really good.
We like what you're doing.
Subscribers started going up.
Listeners started going up.
People were willing to collaborate with me and I got a lot of interest in different authors coming on and sharing their stories.
So the overwhelming amount of support has been really, really nice.
Oh, that's awesome.
That's the power of social media in the best of ways.
Yes, that kind connection where people like genuinely just want to help each other.
I agree.
So when I interview kids on the podcast, I always ask them who they look up to as a role model or a leader, and why.
So I'm going to ask you that same question.
Who is someone that you look up to?
And it can be more than one person, certainly someone that you look up to as a leader in your life, and why?
So I'm going to do one person that's famous and I'm going to do one person that's close to me.
And I feel like lots of people say their mom.
But I really really look up to my mom because she just goes beyond the boundaries that I would put in place for myself.
And I feel like now that I'm a mom, I understand, but I
When I was younger, someone stole my phone.
I was probably about 16 or so.
And I was at a party, someone stole my phone.
And I was like, oh my gosh, like, I'm so scared.
I don't want to tell my mom.
My mom was like, where's your phone?
And I was like, it got stolen.
She was like, oh.
Okay.
And then the next day I come home and she was like, oh, here's your phone.
And I was like, how'd you get my phone back?
She was like, I tracked your phone.
I went to their house.
I knocked on the door and I got your phone back.
And I was just like, you went to someone's house like over a phone.
I would not personally do that.
I would probably count it as a loss, but she's just so brave.
And I really admire that.
And she will do anything and everything for her kids and people that she loves.
And then someone famous that I really admire is Viola Davis, actually the actress.
She is so dynamic, strong.
And her story that she wrote just really resonated with me because in it she talks a lot about the little girl in herself that she didn't want to embrace.
And that through healing, she had to like hug herself as a little girl.
And that is really powerful because growing up, I mean sometimes you're not always the nicest to yourself and you have to be your own caregiver, your own like babysitter that you need because, like you can give yourself like internal trauma.
So it's so important to love yourself.
That's really interesting.
I'm going to have to look up her book, her biography.
Yes.
I will definitely look it up.
What excites you the most as you look ahead to the growth of Rella Books in the future?
I think just the limitless possibilities.
It's very exciting.
I have to like rein it in because I'm like, I want to do this.
I want to do this.
I want to do this next.
And there's just, there's only one me.
I almost wish I would have done it in a cartoon version because it would have been easier.
And I do plan on doing that.
But right now it's just me.
So the expansion and just learning, growing, building the brand.
That's awesome.
And where can our listeners find and connect with you?
So if you'd like to find out more about me, you can find out my website is relabbooks.com.
So there's two L's, two B's, and two O's in that.
And then you can go to at relabbooks on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, pretty much any social media.
You can buy my books on Amazon as well.
Well, thank you so much for joining us today and we look forward to getting your story out and all your contact information.
Thank you.
Thank you so much, Tina.
Have a great day.
You too.
Listen to Mitch and Claire's picture book recommendations.
For more information and some cool discussion questions, visit thelittleleaderspodcastcom or at the Little Leaders Podcast on Instagram.
Our first picture book spotlight is on.
Can You Do This?
An imagination playbook written and illustrated by Megan Roy.
We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Brimming with whimsical art.
Can You Do?
This takes kids through a series of fun physical activities that get them up and moving.
From stomping their feet to standing on one leg.
Each page invites participation, with prompts like can you hop like a bunny?
And can you stretch your arms all the way up to the sky?
As kids act out the playful challenges, they'll exercise their bodies and minds while sharing laughs with families and friends.
An imaginative and interactive picture book that uniquely combines reading counting, movement and play for kids ages 2 to 5, providing a source of screen-free indoor entertainment perfect for quality time at home.
Our next picture book spot is on Maybe Something Beautiful.
How Art Transformed a Neighborhood, written by F Isabel Campoy and Teresa Howell and illustrated by Rafael Lopez.
In this exuberant picture book about transformation through art, Mira lives in a gray urban community until a muralist arrives and, along with his paints and brushes, brings color and joy and hope to the neighborhood.
What good can a splash of color do in a community of gray?
As Mira and her neighbors discover more than you might ever imagine, Based on the true story of the urban art trail in San Diego, California.
Maybe Something Beautiful reveals how art can inspire transformation and how even the smallest artist can accomplish something big.
Pick up a paintbrush and join in the celebration.
The Little Leaders podcast is written, edited and produced by me, Tina Shepardson.
Thank you to Mitch and Claire, our little co-hosts for today's picture book recommendations.
Follow us wherever podcasts are found and leave us a rating or review.
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Our podcast artwork was created by Tara Hannon.
Music is from Pond5 and podcast hosting is by Libsyn.
Take care, everyone.
Keep reading and keep leading.
