Reagan is an eight-year-old little girl with autism who just wants to be free to be herself and dance in a place where she feels safe and happy. Her mom decides to start A Chance to Dance, a class where all children are included. Based on the true story of the North Carolina dancers who are showing the world that they are not limited by their diagnoses, this book shows you just how much children can accomplish when they're given a chance and treated with kindness.
About the Author: Kimberly Pace Smith, founder of A Chance to Dance, is a mother to three beautiful daughters, and they are her most precious treasures. Reagan, her youngest, was diagnosed with autism at 18 months old and although she had suspected it, hearing those words, "Your child has autism," made it real. Four years later, knowing that she wanted to do something in a small way to bring joy to her daughter and others like her, God gave her a vision and it was the best leap of faith she's ever taken. Being a dance teacher is more than just teaching children to dance, it's about giving them independence to learn and interpret their surroundings though the magic of music and dance while making new friends with their volunteers and other dancers. It's Kim's hope that this book will help inspire people to embrace and include others regardless of their differences. Co-author and Civin Media Relations co-owner Tammi Croteau Keen enjoys redefining the fairy tale in her children's stories. Her first book, Can't Bring Me Down, was a finalist for the Montaigne Medal for most thought-provoking book of 2016. The book is dedicated to her very special buddies from I Run 4, a group that pairs runners with people with different abilities. Tammi is an Army National Guard Public Affairs Officer, and a personal and professional development coach for the federal government. She holds Bachelor's degrees in Music Education and English/Creative Writing and a Master's degree in Music. She resides in Texas with her husband, Josh, their cats, Emma and Briscoe, foster kitten Houdini, and a puppy named Maverick. Illustrator Jason Cheeseman-Meyer is an artist and illustrator living in Massachusetts. Along with gallery work and illustration, he works in children's animation. His first illustrated storybooks were created with a team of artists (J.F. and D.T.) who called themselves the Bull-Pen. They remain his closest friends and touchstones for storytelling through pictures. In the early 2000s Jason worked in disability advocacy at the Institute of Human Development at Northern Arizona University. His daughters took dance and gymnastics classes when they were little, and just blossomed with the camaraderie. Between these two bits of his history, he jumped at the opportunity to celebrate A Chance to Dance by illustrating this book. For more information and to view other available titles by the Civin Media Relations team, visit us at civinmediarelations.com, or on social media.