Discover our Origins: Why We Are Passionate About Stories for kids
Picture this: A man confined to bed for months, battling pains so intense they banish sleep. Now, imagine how he passed the time (and diverted himself from the agony). He crafted children’s stories! Envision him and his wife, every morning, adding humor to each twist in those tales. That’s exactly what happened to us.
We are Claudio and Cristina Rizza, the imaginative duo behind JustAwesomeBooks.com, and this is our story.
Our Mission
As co-authors of the Wacky Critters’ Stories series, and the Inside an Egg Story series, we share a passion for stories that aim to enrich little readers’ lives.
Our mission? To spread the joy of reading good books and foster a deeper connection between parents and their children through funny stories with a meaningful message. Why do we love doing that? You are about to discover it.
A Bit About Our Story as a Couple
Claudio’s dream job was to become a primary school teacher. But, life, as it often does, had different and unpredictable plans. So, after graduating, he embarked on various professional journeys. These led him, in 2002, to become a business consultant and a corporate trainer.
Shortly thereafter, in 2004, he met Cristina. They became friends, and then a year later, in 2005, they married. Since then, they have shared every aspect of their lives, including their passion for emotional growth, through reading psychology and personal development books. However, cultivating their spirituality through Bible study has most influenced their personal growth. This is, without any doubt, the cornerstone of their emotional development.
Discovering Claudio's Passion: Crafting Captivating Stories for kids
Claudio tells: ‘When I was around eight years old, I witnessed my parents’ separation and divorce. I have few happy memories of my early childhood because of the family troubles I faced at such a young age. Most of them, at least until age eight, are rather dark.
However, one of the rare joyful memories from my early years involves a moment of great intimacy with my mother. For a few unforgettable evenings, she would read me bedtime stories. I would lie there with my eyes almost closed, enchanted by her delightful voice. She would read me the same story every night but with such a serene and warm tone that it felt like we became one, light as a feather, both of us, adults and children, simultaneously. At that moment, I thought we were together, walking hand in hand through the pages of that tale.
Unfortunately, those beautiful evenings never happened again. So, for the rest of my childhood, I had no more memories of joyful moments or deep intimacy with my mother, she was always tired and stressed out. Over time, I realized how much I missed for those moments of lightness and intimacy with her.Thus, that memory of those few joyful evenings with my dear mum taught me something important: every kid needs to laugh, have fun, and meditate on meaningful things as often as possible. Most importantly, they need to do that with the people they love the most, their parents.
For this reason, the mission of our books is to remind all (especially parents) of the beauty (and the need) of creating moments of deep sharing and laughing with their children. This is why I love writing children’s stories, and my wife eagerly loves correcting them and pointing out all the mistakes I make! (which are millions). But I intentionally make them all, so she also has something to do.’😆
The pivotal moment that brought us to where we are now
Our creative adventure took an unexpected turn when Claudio, following a severe work accident in November 2022, found himself bedridden for about three months. At that time, partly to distract himself from the pain (partly because he couldn’t sleep 😂), he began writing and drawing all the story’s characters. Thus, ten Stories for Kids were born in a few nights. They were the embryo of the Wacky Critters Stories.
These children’s stories are set in an imaginary forest of characters from famous fairy tales and other funny animals. While they are in hilarious situations, these (slightly) mad friends will learn valuable life lessons and share them with your children. The first tale is centred on gratitude, and the second is about friendship as its central theme.
Would you like to read our Books for Kids?
Do you still feel like a kid at heart, even if you’re in your forties? Well, why not give them a try?
Explore our collection of Story for Kids, (Wacky Critters Stories), or perhaps our Outdoor Games Book, and Inside Games Book, or one of our Gratitude Journals!
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And remember, with every digital book purchase, you’ll enjoy our 30-day money-back guarantee! Prepare for endless laughter with your little ones! ;-D