Kids age 3-5: Join us for the reading of this warm and reassuring picture book about listening to your heart and advocating for yourself, even to the people you love most.

About Nisha Knows Best

Nisha’s aunties and uncles love to show love. They’re always swooping her up into big, squishy hugs or squeezing her cheeks. But Nisha is used to it—they’re family! So when Nisha’s Ammamma and Appappa arrive from India, everyone is surprised when Nisha is suddenly shy. Nisha loves her grandparents, and she’s excited they’re here. So why does giving them a hug feel so scary? And if she doesn’t embrace them, will their feelings be so hurt that they go back to India? This tender family story acts as a reminder for kids and adults that there are many different ways to show love, and that when it comes to your body— and your boundaries—you always know best.

About Maryann Jacob Macias

Nisha Knows Best is Maryann’s second picture book, and has received positive reviews from Booklist and Kirkus. Her debut picture book, TÉO'S TUTU, was named an Amazon Best Book of 2021 for 3-5 year olds; a 2022 Notable Social Studies Trade Book by the National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council; and a 2023 Rainbow List book by the American Library Association, and was praised by School Library Journal, Horn Book, and Kirkus Reviews. Maryann was born and raised in Westchester County. She has been a fellow at Baldwin for the Arts, a residency fellowship program for artists of the global majority founded by Jacqueline Woodson. Maryann received her B.A. in English from the City College of New York, CUNY, her M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the Solstice MFA Program, and a Professional Certificate in Human Rights from Columbia University.

Contact the host of Special Author Read-Aloud: Nisha Knows Best by Maryann Jacob Macias