Seeking Sam Our Primary Character

Text "Who is Sam" with child in tent fort pretending to be an astronaut.
One of the first questions I got when people started reading my book was about the child named Sam in the story. Who is Sam? Is the character based on a real person? Why did you pick the name, Sam? So I am here to answer a few questions about my favorite little child at the epicenter of our stories.

Who is Sam?

I chose the name Sam because it can be short for both Samuel and Samantha. Gender was not an important thing for this character. In fact when I developed this character I specifically wanted Sam to be non-binary or non-gender.

I want all children to feel like they could be part of this story.

I found that creating a character that was not identified by a particular gender, allowed all children to feel as if they could be Sam. 

By being inclusive and creating books that allow everyone to participate in the story and identify with this character.

Is the Character based on a real person?

The short answer is NO. I have two children close in age. Both of them are amazing in the way that has helped me with the book. In fact, the hands in the illustrations were one of my child’s hands, and the other one helped me take a few of the pictures that we later used to illustrate the book.

So I wouldn't want either of them to feel like they were not part of this character.  To me, the character has to be relatable to any child who reads the story.  Both of my kids deserve to feel like they were Sam too.

Sam is simply Sam.

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