Thembisa Mshaka - Filmaker/Producer of SEEIT Films, Author, "Handle Your {Entertainment} Business"

As a women's business author, I am always looking for creative new work that expands the vocabulary of consumers with respect to inclusion. As a mother of a daughter in kindergarten, it is always refreshing to discover bold new reflections of dynamic characters who happen to be girls. Meet ClaraBelle Blue embodies the best kind of literary discovery and is, in a word, a revelation.

Created entirely by women from the words and design to the illustration, Meet ClaraBelle Blue celebrates difference by illuminating how much we share in common. My daughter became fast friends with the fun, unstoppable title character, because she identified with her image, her exuberance and her loving, adventure-filled relationship with her mother. Knowing ClaraBelle and being part of her world will erase the trepidation or tendency toward pity kids often feel around children with special needs, without erasing the importance of acknowledging that those needs exist. I can only imagine how affirming and empowering this title is for families with ClaraBelles of their own. Hopefully, Adiba Nelson will extend the book to television or toy merchandise, providing a multidimensional experience of this phenomenal character.

Meet ClaraBelle Blue is a must for every young reader's collection.