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 Our Passion: Crafting Captivating Stories for kids
Claudio says: ‘When I was around eight years old, I witnessed my parents’ divorce. I have few happy memories of my early childhood because of the family troubles I faced at such a young age.
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 and light as a feather, walking hand in hand through the pages of that tale.
Unfortunately, those beautiful evenings never happened again. Afterwards, my mom had to raise two kids on her own and was always tired and stressed out. But over time, I realized how much I missed 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 (daily, actually). 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 of the beauty (and the need) of creating moments of deep sharing and laughing with children.
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 in hilarious situations, these quirky friends will learn valuable life lessons and share them with your children. The first story, “Zack Makes New Friends.” is about appreciating and loving everyone (and ourselves) just as he is.
Would you like to read our Books?
As you’ve probably guessed, children’s stories are our first love. What started as a happy accident—writing stories just for ourselves—quickly turned into something much bigger and far more exciting!
We’re proud to have already released the first tale in our Wacky Critters Stories series, and we’re not stopping there. This series will get even wackier and more delightful with nine more stories. But storytelling isn’t just a hobby for us anymore—it’s a passion we can’t wait to share. Mark your calendar for March 21, 2025! We’re thrilled to introduce Inside an Egg, a hilarious adventure for kids aged 8 to 11. This laugh-out-loud tale will spark your imagination as you explore the world inside an extraordinary egg.
And that’s not all—on June 21, 2025, we’ll launch Happier within 28 Days, a personal growth journey about the transformative power of gratitude. This inspiring self-help book will show how gratitude can deepen relationships, enrich your spiritual life, and reshape how you see the world. Drawing from over 20 years of counselling experience, extensive training with top Italian mental coaches, and his Bible study, Leo F Rossi shares actionable insights and timeless wisdom to help you thrive.
Curious to dive into our first children’s story? You can explore risk-free with our 60-day satisfaction guarantee—or your money back! Interested in pre-booking one of our 2025 releases for free? Choose your favourite title and discover why we proudly call our publishing hub Just Awesome Books!