Interview With Author Anne van Gessel
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Anne van Gessel and I sat down to chat about her upcoming children’s book on dyslexia, “Cruz Finds His Way”, which hit the shelves of amazon last month. Anne also has other projects in the works, a memoir entitled, “My Friend Dyslexia, From Self-Loathing to Self-Acceptance” where she speaks on her journey with dyslexia and provides resources for employers and employees on navigating the workspace with neurodiversity in mind. Anne is also working on a “Celebrate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Inspirational Card Deck”. How wonderful! We look forward to seeing the process of these develop, Anne. Thank you for sitting down with me.
Let’s start off with getting to know more about you. Could you give us five weird and quirky facts about yourself?
“Sure, let me think of 5 quirky things. Okay, how are these for quirky and weird? First one, a hobby of mine is to try out new superfoods, health food, supplements, and snacks. For example mushroom/ kelp jerky, cricket protein bars, mushroom coffee, etc. I enjoy trying the specialty/interesting dishes when I travel. While visiting the Philippines, I ate a balut (a fertilized bird egg (usually a duck) which is incubated for a period of 14 to 21 days), and I ate whale while in Iceland. Second, my favorite go-to quick meal is sardines on rice. Third, I’ve had braces from 5th grade until 11th grade. Not because I actually needed it for that long, but because I was waiting for all my adult teeth to come in. Fourth, I studied abroad in China for a semester in college, where I blended-in due to people thinking I am half-Chinese and half-Russian. And last thing, when I’m hungry and eating, I only want to focus on the meal, so don’t expect me to have a conversation at mealtime! If it’s any kind of event that is around mealtime, I will eat beforehand so as to not be hangry.”
“Cruz the crow experiences dyslexia is preparing to go on his first solo flight, where he will be practicing to read signs in order to find his way back home before sun down. He starts off his journey feeling a ton of self-doubt, and along the way, he even experiences some set-backs that confirm his lack of confidence. Later on, he meets two characters, encouraging him to tap into the wisdom he has within him. With this new found courage and confidence, he finds his way back home.”
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Cruz Finds His Way
Cruz the Crow is about to embark on the single most important journey of his whole life: his solo-flight! But there is just one problem! All those letters and numbers that the other crows can read: well he can’t. How will he ever find his way? A charming and inspiring tale that tells kids it is ok to be different, and that we all have our strengths.
Author Websites and Profiles
Anne van Gessel’s Social Media Links