Inspiration Behind Alfie
My Two Little Rhinos
All children should see themselves represented in children's books. If we start conversations about kindness and inclusion early in life, the world will be a much more understanding and beautiful place.
Alfie Sees Love is an educational children's book inspired by my two little rhinos—Russ, who has albinism and autism spectrum disorder, and Peyton, who has albinism—and all the amazing friends we've made on this special needs journey.
When my boys were diagnosed, I searched for children’s books featuring characters with differences as a way to teach myself and others about Russ and Peyton's conditions. To my surprise, there were very few book options. I found a few one-off books about specific conditions, but I couldn't find many characters or series that unite the larger special needs community… And so, Alfie was born!
-Alison Nenon, Author of Alfie Sees Love
Alfie's Mission:
Spread Love
Alfie Sees Love aims to normalize differences, teach empathy, and promote inclusion. My hope is that children with disabilities will be proud to see themselves thriving in this book (and future books!) and that others will learn empathy and respect for people with differences. The ultimate goal is to create a more inclusive, understanding, and beautiful world!
Process
Meet the Author & Illustrator
Alison Nenon and Andrea Severin Goins are besties who met at Vanderbilt University (Anchor Down!), where they were roommates their freshman year. Alison has always enjoyed creative writing, and Andi has been a talented artist her whole life. When Alison dreamed up the idea of Alfie, she knew she wanted Andi to bring him and his friends to life... And voila!—a beautiful partnership to #spreadlove began!
About the author
Alison Nenon works in Marketing and Communications in her hometown of Memphis, TN. She's always enjoyed creative writing, and when both of her boys were born with special needs, she combined her love for storytelling with her passion for disability advocacy, and Alfie Sees Love was born! Through Alfie Sees Love, Alison hopes to normalize differences, teach empathy, and promote inclusion. When she's not creating rhymes or making puns, Alison enjoys spending time with her husband Russell and their two sons, Russ and Peyton. Alison holds an M.Ed. in Leadership and Organizational Performance and B.S. in Human and Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University.