The Big Decision

 

I am so excited to share that I have now co-authored a brand-new children’s book with my daughter Rachael Couch.  

 

We were inspired by the recent presidential election and wanted a way to explain this election to my four-year-old grandson. The Big Decision is a bright and engaging look at the choices made by each of the states, who are personified by beautiful illustrations

 

We wanted to explain voting and the election to pre-K and early elementary kids, and make sure it was done in a very child-friendly and engaging way. 

 

My daughter shared a story about a family walk around the neighborhood on the day after the election, November 4th, and a sweet, precocious third-grade neighbor child approached them on their walk and he wanted to know all about the current status of the election and which states had been called so far. She was so impressed at his literacy in the process and the electoral college. 

 

She wanted her four-year-old to understand what was going on beyond just Mommy and Daddy voting and giving him stickers, She and I began to collaborate on the story, coming up with the idea of personifying the states and we found an amazing children’s illustrator who brought the story to life. 

 

I’m especially proud of the Arizona page where we recognized the Navajo people who rode on horseback in order to vote.

 

As a former teacher I believe that talking about the voting process & the value of a peaceful transition of power in the United States with your kids is important. I strongly recommend that parents use this book as a resource to have meaningful conversations with children about how the process of American democracy works, particularly as the new inauguration happens next month. 

 

 

The Big Decision is now available in paperback or ebook versions on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R2DNFFD