Soon-to-be Primary parent Kira Wallette wrote her first book because she needed one that didn't exist. When her toddler, Harper, was ready to transition to sleeping in her own room, Kira wanted something gentle and visual to walk her daughter through the new routine, and she couldn't find quite the right book. So she made it, with Harper as co-creator and chief critic. (Harper's first review of the manuscript and illustration was as honest as a child can be, so they went back to the drawing board.)

A second book followed: a joyful record of Harper and her father's day at home, but this time, with Harper involved from day one. Every activity mentioned was real, every detail was Harper's own.

After that, then came the transition to school. When Harper started in the Toddler program, Kira went looking for a book that showed a Montessori classroom the way it actually looks between the work laid out on the floor, grace-and-courtesy lessons, and community snack. What she found was the same gap she'd found before. So, again, she's filling it with inspiration and input of her (and Harper's) own.

The newest book follows a day in Ms. Michelle's classroom, built from Harper's own descriptions of her favorite work: polishing a mushroom, walking along the balance beam, and building sandcastles on the playground. It is currently being illustrated by Kira's sister-in-law and will be released in the coming months, and to celebrate, Kira recently came to campus to read her previous books aloud to the class, donating signed copies — hers and Harper's — to Ms. Michelle's room. Eventually, when the Montessori classroom book is finished, it will take its place on that same shelf, in the room where the story happens every day.

That last detail carries something worth holding onto. A book written by a parent, co-created with a toddler, illustrated by a family member, and then donated to the very classroom it depicts. That's a supply chain built with care and intention, but more than that, it's a piece of a community building itself.