Valerie Smith is a children's author, educator, and coach with over 20 years of experience working with children in the public school system. Her passion for storytelling grew from her love of creating meaningful moments with children through imagination, laughter, adventure, and connection.After experiencing the heartbreaking loss of her oldest son, Valerie discovered writing as a way to bring light, comfort, and joy to families through storytelling. What began as a creative outlet soon became a passion for creating interactive books that encourage children and families to slow down, explore together, and build lasting memories through reading.Valerie is the author of Goodnight Little Unicorns & Friends and Goodnight Little Dragons & Friends, bedtime seek-and-find adventures designed to spark imagination and family connection. She also personally creates and edits the illustrations featured throughout her books, bringing each story and character to life with warmth and creativity.Her newest adventure featuring Ollie combines storytelling, interactive treasure hunts, and fun educational facts to inspire curiosity about the ocean and the amazing creatures within it. Through every book she creates, Valerie hopes to inspire wonder, encourage togetherness, and remind children that adventure and imagination can always be found within the pages of a story.