Roslyn children’s book author finds new normal amid COVID-19

The Island Now
Stephanie Sorkin holding her book "Nutley." Photo provided by Stephanie Sorkin.

Children’s book author Stephanie Sorkin is a fan favorite around the country for the positive messages her stories provide, however, the Covid-19 pandemic has forced her to get used to a new normal that requires virtual classroom visits and social media.

Sorkin, a resident of Roslyn, has a reoccurring theme in her writing, being different, which shines through her newest book “Am I a Unicorn?”

“The book is about a unicorn that falls down the stairs, loses its horn and wonders if it’s still a unicorn without the important piece that designates it to be a unicorn,” Sorkin said. “I’m hoping the book reaches a large audience because I feel like being different can really affect everybody.”

Sorkin’s goal is to teach kids to celebrate their differences in a whimsical and colorful way.

“Being different and being one of a kind is the same thing but they have different connotations,” Sorkin said. “When a child thinks they are one of a kind, it makes them feel special so the main takeaway from the book is to celebrate that.”

Before the pandemic, Sorkin had made more than 200 classroom visits around the tri-state area to read to children but now she relies on zoom video calls.

“Now I can do a school visit in Florida in the morning and do California in the afternoon,” Sorkin said. “Even though the kids are so used to TVs, computers and iPads, they still want to see the author in person.”

“Am I a Unicorn?” is available for preorder online and Sorkin is doing her best to reach a large audience through social media. A message she received about the book from a father left her reflecting.

The message read, “You don’t need all the parts, it’s what you feel on the inside,” Sorkin said. “His child is a transgender teen, which is a reminder that the book might have a message that you have to look for but it’s there.”

Sorkin has published three other books and part of her mission is to help children by donating a portion of the proceeds to charity for each book.

“In my book ‘Nutley, the Nut-Free Squirrel,’ I donated 100 percent of the proceeds to food allergy research,” Sorkin said. “I just feel like for the parents and kids, it’s a rewarding thing to purchase a book, a form of entertainment, but also know that you are going to help a fundraiser while you buy something you enjoy; a win-win for everybody.”

When creating ‘Nutley,’ Sorkin wanted to address the many kids affected by food allergies and help them feel included.

“About 10 years ago, there were not many books on the market that were colorful or silly that make kids feel like part of the gang and included,” Sorkin said. “Sometimes you see books with a medical feeling or topic, and it looks like that kind of book, which is not very appealing to children. With ‘Nutley,’ it has a cute character with colorful and vibrant pages, like my other books.”

Some of Sorkin’s fondest memories came from reading bedtime books to her girls, Mallory 13, Lea 14 and Krya 17.

“There were certain stories they would ask me to read five or six times in the same night.” Sorkin said. “’Olivia,’ ‘Eloise’ and ‘Madeline’ are classics, but they never get old. If you read to your children, it instills a love of books and reading forever.”

Whether it is to her kids or students in the classrooms, Sorkin always preaches a quote by Maya Angelou, “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” Those are words she will always live by.

 

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