Liana Learns to Shine

Every child builds something and looks up, hoping someone will notice. For Liana - a young lion cub inventor with a jungle workbench and a head full of big ideas - that someone is her father, the King of the Jungle. And he always seems too busy to look.When Papa’s royal duties keep him from seeing her work, Liana begins to wonder whether what she makes - or who she is - matters at all. It takes the steady encouragement of her five friends (Ellie the Elephant, Max the Monkey, Gerry the Giraffe, Rico the Rhino, and Tom the Tiger) and the quiet wisdom of her grandmother for Liana to discover something more powerful than any invention: the ability to believe in herself.Liana Learns to Shine: A Lion Cub’s Discovery of Self-Confidence is a warm, joyful picture book for children ages 6-8 about a truth many of us spend a lifetime learning: real confidence doesn’t come from applause or approval - it comes from knowing your own worth. It’s a story for every child who has ever waited to be noticed, and for every grown-up raising one.With a young Black girl inventor as its heroine, the book celebrates girls in STEM and the strength of friendship - and gently opens the conversations families are sometimes afraid to have. A perfect read-aloud for home, the classroom, and counseling settings.Themes: self-confidence, resilience, self-worth, emotional validation, intergenerational family patterns, girls in STEM, and friendship.Every copy includes a free downloadable Guide for Grown-Ups - with age-grouped discussion questions, family activities, STEM resources, and a special note for fathers.