The iAmYes Book Series Team
Meet All The CHARACTERS
The Back Story:
Our daughter, Erin Lazzaro, is a stilt walker for the Bronx Zoo in New York, and each year she and her friends wear a different animal character, and the characters in the iAmYes Book Series are those animals. There are currently 2 published bilingual (English & Spanish) books in the series. There will be a total of ten. Each student gets to experience their moment on stage, but just before their debuts, they experience personal angst. These stories describe in stunning pictures and rhyming words thone moments. The final two books are the perspectives of the audience and the teacher who has created the school recital projects. Share the stories with your children, grandchildren, classroom students, nieces, nephews, and neighbors!
Meet Zebra Girl
A child's dream of being a roaring lion is thwarted when she's given the part of a zebra for dance recital.. Anything, even the upside-down sloth would be better than a striped donkey, she thinks. But in the end, Zebra Girl shows she can still ROAR, even dressed in stripes and discovers
that she can be whatever she wants to be...
Meet lion boy
A timid boy discovers the limelight isn't so bad after all when his teacher chooses him to be the lion for the very first act in the class recital. Lions are supposed to be brave, but this lion is terrified, he wanted to go last - or not at all! But when the spotlight shines, he finds the courage he didn't know he had - and instead he discovers he can take the lead and shine.
Meet Eagle Boy
A fear of heights is real for Eagle Boy and his teacher challenges him to rise to the occasion during the school recital. As he soars through the air safe in his harness, he discovers that he has control over his fear and can actually fly! He is so happy for himself as he takes center stage and gets through his act without throwing up.
Meet Sloth Boy
Sloth Boy doesn’t go anywhere without his walker until his teacher assigns him the part of hanging upside down in a tree with a harness, of course, and then sitting in a tree performing magic tricks. He practices and practices with the support of his physical therapist, teacher, and bestie so when the day of the performance comes, he can really be like a sloth - able to hang from a tree. He discovers that the magic is really him and not the tricks he practices - although the tricks are totally epic with his magic wand and hat!
Meet Amy Falk Weinberger - Co-Author
Amy Falk Weinberger, MSEd., a former educator and entrepreneur for 50+ years, is a passionate advocate for creative thinking, playfulness in learning, and purposeful movement that integrates body and brain. She is also a community connector. Her teaching career essentially began at age 4 when she would line her stuffed animals and dolls up in rows for their afternoon classes in reading, writing, and arithmetic. Amy learned to read by studying the dictionary and watching the Electric Company & Sesame Street. Amy has always dabbled in poetic storytelling, and Zebra Girl is her first published children's story. It is a compilation of her observations from her daughter's dance recitals in Sarasota, Florida when she was young to her adult performances as a stilt walker at the Bronx Zoo in New York City. Amy and her husband, Steve, are enjoying their own adventures in Costa Rica.
Meet Jennifer Macaire -Co-Author
Jennifer Macaire is the author of the best selling Time for Alexander series (Hachette) as well as the YA Horse Passages series for Evernight Teen. Jennifer is an American living in Paris. She likes to read, eat chocolate, and plays a mean game of golf. She grew up in upstate New York, Samoa, and the Virgin Islands. She graduated from St Peter and Paul High School in St Thomas and moved to NYC where she modelled for five years for Elite. She went to France and met her husband at the polo club. All that is true. But she mostly likes to make up stories and has the best job in the world for a writer - librarian! See more of her work here.
Meet Naza Hidalgo - illustrator
Naza is a Latina artist based in Costa Rica. As a kid, she loved drawing and expressing herself creatively in every way she could. As an adult, I earned a BA (2018) and Licentiate Degree (2021) in Visual Arts
with Emphasis on Graphic Design at the Universidad de Costa Rica.
She feels inspired by children when they play games and tell their stories; by nature, emotions and little details; and by the wonderful world we live in. See more of her work here.
Meet Dr. Maria Clapp - Translator
Sense of curiosity, tenacity, and a possibility seeking mindset are some of the traits that describe Maria, a bilingual licensed mental health counselor, certified addictions counselor, and certified school counselor for over 23 years. Maria’s professional framework is about connecting and collaborating with individuals and communities to create paths for personal and professional growth to enhance overall quality of life. Someof Maria’s favorite things to do is traveling, going the beach, and Latin dancing.
Dr. Maria Clapp, EdD LMHC CAP
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Certified Addictions Professional
Certified School Counselor