We recently connected with Karri Theis and have shared our conversation below.

Karri, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Publishing my first children’s book, “Little Miss Jean and the Time Machine is probably the most meaningful project I’ve worked on so far. It not only started my career in writing and fulfilled a 20-year dream, but it helped heal a hole in my heart.

My mother passed away a few months before I had my first daughter. Once my daughter was born (and since) I felt this longing to create a space where my mom and daughters would “meet.” I wrote about it in this essay:

https://herviewfromhome.com/little-miss-jean-childrens-book/

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a wife, mother, children’s book author, and reading & writing advocate. I collect and review books and am a literacy advocate. I love stories-writing, reading, and sharing them. Reading and having access to books is fundamental to a strong and productive society. We make valuable connections through storytelling; the world needs more sharing & telling (and reading/listening) in safe spaces. Encouraging kids and adults to tap into their imagination to create, learn, build, and help others is my mission, and a world of more humans feeling empowered to do good (in big and small ways) is my vision.

The pandemic challenged all of us. But as time went on, our family chose to practice gratitude for this extra time together. As a result, we rediscovered our creativity and became empowered to make memories we would never have otherwise. This time inspired and prompted me to live out a 20-year dream of publishing my first children’s book, “Little Miss Jean and the Time Machine.”

The story’s premise came to me many years ago after I lost my mom to cancer and became a mother myself, all in a few months. These pivotal life events taught me how precious time is and how pure love between people transcends our earthly existence. The purpose of this story is to share that amazing truth and empower kids to rely on their imagination to create, build, learn, and help others. My mom taught me these lessons, and I strive to pass them on to my daughters.

I now have two published books, and a third coming out in January of 2025. Gaining more experience in writing, reading to kids, and working in the literary space has highlighted the importance of literacy for all. Doing Storytime read-alouds in a myriad of educational settings, I’ve realized not everyone has equal access to books. Recently, I held a book drive and raised over 700 books, which I donated to nine affordable housing properties in the Twin Cities metro area. Doing this work has ignited even more of a drive to do more, so I’m currently working with other resident properties to do more of this work in 2025 and beyond. Stay tuned! If you have any new or gently used books, I’ll take them!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to promote literacy and help empower kids (and adults!) through stories and reading. I also want to be a vehicle for providing access to books, regardless of socioeconomic background.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part is feeling like a link in the chain in helping people realize the value of literacy, books, and storytelling. Stories bring people together and open minds to lifelong lessons and new ideas. Art heals, and helps people feel less alone, which is an important aspect of why I publish children’s books. Words help people grow and expand, and reading can also feel like a safe escape.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://karrichronicles.com/
• Instagram: @karrichronicles
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karritheisauthor/