Jean Hawthorn-DaCosta was born in Manchester, Jamaica, a country for which she has a strong love and devotion. She is an educator, entrepreneur, author and all-round advocate of developing beautiful relationships between children and reading. She is the author of children’s books such as Jamaica in my Tummy, My Toilet is Bigger Than Yours, and Leroy: Adventures of a Yaad Boy (Banyan Books). She hopes her books will stimulate a love for reading and a deep appreciation for her beautiful Jamaica in children. She is also the host and founder of the Wordykids Book Club. In Leroy, which Hawthorn-DaCosta says was inspired by “watching my son and his friends at play, readers experience a day in the life of the title character. A celebration of fun, friendship, and boyhood, the story highlights Leroy’s cultural identity, defying stereotypes while showcasing those attributes that make him and his friends uniquely Jamaican.