I Am Thinking My Life

Author Bio

Allysun Atwater

ALLYSUN ATWATER is an educator, author, and a non-practicing attorney. Allysun grew up in Odessa, Texas, where she was a quintessential eighties latchkey kid and an avid reader with an insatiable love of the library. Allysun is a graduate of Southern Methodist University (SMU) with a bachelor’s degree in English, and Stanford University with a master’s degree in Education and a Juris Doctorate. She has been a decades-long practitioner of mindfulness and meditation. Allysun lives in the Houston area with her husband, twin daughters, and two shih tzus.

Stevie Lewis

STEVIE LEWIS spends part of each year traveling out of her van, furthering her passion for art and the outdoors. She is also an avid hiker and rock climber. After working for several years in animation she now illustrates children’s books. She currently resides in Flagstaff, Arizona where she lives with her partner and two little dogs.

Praise

“In her debut picture book, Atwater creates an empowering look at imagining the life you want to live. Through the pages, readers see a beautiful Black girl with large eyes and beads adorning her locs. The story is well-suited for read-alouds where connections can be drawn and independent context provided. A welcome addition to early elementary and public libraries.” —School Library Journal

“I Am Thinking My Life is a solid affirmation of the steps that any reader might take positively to affect their own world view.” —Shelf Awareness

“A child ponders the connection between thought and action in this meditative book by Atwater, which uses incantatory phrasing to express empowerment: ‘I think myself smiling. I see myself smiling. I am smiling.’ Later shifting to affirmations of character traits (‘I am powerful. I am radiant’), the book builds to a beatific suggestion of future possibilities.” —Publishers Weekly

“Encouragement for mindfully creating the life you wish to live.” —Spirituality & Practice

“With its theme of using our minds and imaginations to improve our lives (whatever our circumstances might be), I Am Thinking My Life is a welcome and recommended addition to family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library Self-Esteem, Values, and Life Skills picture book collections.” —Midwest Book Review

Selected Reader Reviews