I am excited to share that the In the Nick of Time series has grown again! This Fall I will release the third installment in the series called Hope In the Nick of Time and the series will now have an activity book too. Both of these new additions will focus on hoping skills for kids and couldn’t be more timely. (If you are looking for a way to talk about hoping skills with your child, please download our free guide.)

When my son Nick was ten years old, I set out to find him the perfect Christmas story. My family loves Christmas and we have many many Christmas books, but I could not find a story where a child—not just any child, but a Black child—got to help Santa save the day.

I searched high and low. I combed through bookstores and scoured online retailers. But no matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t find what I was searching for.

There were books with reindeer and elves. Books with talking snowmen and twinkling lights. Books about Santa going missing or being in trouble. But in every version of those stories, the heroes never looked like my son.

Not once did I find a story with a Black boy who gets to be brave, helpful, and kind. Where that child gets to step up, solve a problem, and save the day right alongside Santa himself.

As a mom, an author, and a lifelong lover of children’s books, that story called out to me. That story pulled at my heart. I knew that if I could not find it, that meant I had to write it!

In the Nick of Time was born from a deep love for my child, for storytelling, and for the kind of joyful representation every child deserves. The story is a whisper to the universe about the kind of world I want my son to grow up in.

It matters that Black children get to see themselves in stories of magic and wonder.
It matters that they’re not just present, but centered—as the ones with big hearts, brilliant ideas, and the power to make a difference.

So often, books that feature Black characters are rooted in pain or history. Those stories are vital—but they shouldn’t be the only stories. Our children deserve to be the stars of festive, funny, uplifting adventures too. They deserve to experience themselves as the heroes in everyday, joyful, and magical tales—especially during the holidays.

Representation is not about exclusion. It’s about expansion.

When we make room for all kinds of stories, we expand what’s possible in the hearts and minds of every child—Black or white, rich or poor, city or country.

Because the truth is: this story isn’t just for my son. It’s for yours, too.

Every classroom, library, and community center should have books that reflect the diversity of the world around us. And not just during Black History Month.

When kids of all backgrounds read stories about Black children being brave and kind, they grow up with more empathy. More respect. More understanding.

This series—In the Nick of Time—is a celebration of hope, friendship, courage, and kindness. Book one addresses friendship and poverty. Book two shines a light on racial bias and diverse holiday traditions. Book three, Hope In the Nick of Time, explores homelessness and the power of hope. Each one helps kids start important conversations. Each one invites them to dream a little bigger and believe a little deeper.

And now, this growing series is joined by a first-of-its-kind activity book that gives kids tools to build coping skills, regulate emotions, and develop a growth mindset. It’s a much-needed antidote to screen time—a thoughtful, joyful way to help kids unplug and reconnect with themselves. And it centers a Black child doing just that, which is almost unheard of in the world of activity books.

There is no way to fully describe the feeling of seeing my son’s name on the cover of a book. Or of watching him light up when he realized: This is me. I get to be the one who helps Santa. I get to save the day.

When Nick was only ten and first saw the cover of the book and a drawing that looked like him made by fine artist Charlene Mosley, Nick said, “This book makes me feel like Christmas… and I like feeling like Christmas.”

It’s overwhelming. It’s emotional. It’s healing.

It’s also a reminder of how powerful stories are. They don’t just entertain—they shape how we see ourselves, and how we see each other.

And I will never stop writing the stories I needed when I was young, or the ones I wish my older children had when they were little.

Because somewhere out there, another parent is searching for that perfect book—and I want them to find this one.

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