Hi! I’m Amber Rizaei (pronounced riz-eye). I grew up in a suburb of Chicago. I had a great, carefree childhood, but I also grew up quite sheltered and naive. In my first year of college, I taught children in the city. It was eye opening! After my second year of college, I visited Belize. Here I taught children, but really they taught me! I went there feeling bad for the luxuries we take for granted. I left knowing my lifestyle isn’t always “the best” just because we have shiny, new toys. A little girls voice still rings in my head, “I wanted to give you something before you leave to remember me. (She hands me a braided string, a friendship bracelet.) I know it’s not much, but I don’t have much. I feel rich though, because I am rich with love. My families love, God’s love, and my friends.” I’ll never forget that moment. The next year, I met my husband. For two years, we had lived and worked 2 minutes from each other. It wasn’t until we met online that we ever knew the other existed. We had a private ceremony, we bought a house, we had a baby, we got a puppy, and we moved to a new house. Life has been beautiful. My husband is from Afghanistan. We had very different childhoods, and I like to bring our family’s culture into my stories. I had many questions at first and have always had an open mind. I am always open to answer questions as well. No question is ever ‘dumb’ no question is ever ‘offensive.’ There are a lot of things I was not taught about Afghanistan while growing up in America. I hope that my stories will bring new light and curiosity into your home. I hope you and your little ones find the urge to learn more about many cultures! Reading a bedtime story has always been such an important part of our lives. My daughters look forward to it every night. I hope reading brings you together too. Thank you for supporting me in my dreams of being an author.-Amber Rizaei Read more about this authorRead less about this author