Northgate resident Jennifer Lazzarini has published her first children’s book What Matters? The picture book for 3-6 year olds delivers a message of acceptance of all types of people regardless of skin color, beliefs, or how one looks. In the end all that matters is how we treat others.
Jennifer has lived in Northgate since 2008. Her three children attended Valle Verde Elementary School. Her daughter, now 25, also attended Foothill and Northgate High School. Her 14 year old son attends Foothill and her 11 year old son attends Contra Costa School for the Performing Arts. Jennifer came to writing her first book in a non-traditional way.
It all started with a dream, but not her dream. The dream was her friend’s. At coffee one day her friend, Anna, told her that she dreamed about Jennifer’s son. In the dream the son was reading a book that had been penned by Jennifer. Since Jennifer had never thought about writing a book, the dream seemed random and something that would soon be forgotten. But somehow the thought would not leave her alone. Then a few weeks later, she woke up one day with the entire book concept in her head.
“I have two boys that don’t look like traditional boys,” says Jennifer. “I thought about them and all the other people that matter. It breaks my heart when I see kids not being accepted for who they are.” And with this inspiration, the book was born.
“I felt this message was important to get out there,” adds Jennifer. But first she needed an illustrator and a publisher, and she had a lot to learn. She hired a publisher who perfectly saw her vision, creating characters of all shapes, colors and sizes. She decided to publish the book herself using Amazon KDP. Her 14-year-old Noah was helpful in making sure the text was in kid-friendly words. The process took about eight months, and the book was published in paperback ($6.99) and on Kindle ($3.99) in December 2021. She has donated several copies to the Valle Verde library and to many of our neighborhood Little Free Libraries. As one reviewer on Amazon writes: “This book couldn’t encompass more what we teach our kiddos at home. Start the conversation early with your kids about acceptance of not only themselves, but others. Talk about what inclusivity is, what it truly means to be a good friend and how they can be an ally to all humans. From the beautiful illustrations to the simple yet powerful language of teaching ‘what matters’ in life, this book is it.”
You can follow Jennifer on Instagram @JennLazz75.
“Children are born loving everyone,” she adds. “They learn prejudices over time. The goal of the book is to share a message of understanding and kindness with others.” What matters?… well, everyone matters!
By Kara Navolio, Resident since 1991