The story behind My Dinosaur Shoes

Eleni Tassopoulos Wehner is an AuDHD woman who writes to increase realistic representation of autistic and other neurodivergent children and their families. Her Roscoe & Ivy series (Barefoot Books, Autumn 2025) is inspired by real-life strategies she uses with her neurodivergent children. My Dinosaur Shoes is the first book in the series.

It starts with our oldest.

She is 3 years old. Holiday family photos are scheduled. It’s a “mini slot”, which means the whole session is only 15 minutes long. I attempt to place my nonspeaking child’s foot into her new boots – the ones that perfectly match her outfit. She kicks her foot and starts screaming. I’m frustrated. Why won’t she just TRY THEM ON? I keep trying for 20 minutes. She’s crying. I’m crying.

I give up, hoping my makeup hasn’t run down my face. She wears her sneakers with her red velvet dress. We make it to our now 13-minute-long photo session.

She wore those same iridescent Velcro sneakers every day.

Zamzam for Everyone – A Child’s Hajj, A Universal Muslim Story

Razeena Omar Gutta is an acclaimed children’s book author known for her bright and joyful picture books centering young Muslim characters. Her new picture book, Zamzam for Everyone, is her third picture book published with Barefoot Books, and follows a young girl as she experiences Hajj for the first time.

“To place this book in the hands of Muslim children across the world is to connect them with a heritage that spans centuries. And for non-Muslim readers this is a chance to glimpse the beauty and humanity of the sacred journey of Hajj.”

For many Muslims, Hajj is a story we hear about before we can fully comprehend it. It is a sacred journey woven into our earliest memories – watching Tawaaf around the Kaaba on TV or YouTube, visiting friends or family planning to make the trip, receiving special gifts from those who return after Hajj. Over time, this shapes our understanding of worship, sacrifice, and the vast, tender embrace

Poetry, Picture Books, and the Power of Feelings: A Conversation with Rebecca Gardyn Levington