WHAT AN AMAZING EVENT! Thank you so much to Blaine Ross, Beaverton Library, and One Book One Beaverton for inviting me out! It was such an honor to share the stage with six incredible storytellers. We had a great crowd, and each storyteller had fifteen minutes to share a story with links to family, art, and life. They ranged from broad (like mine) to specific, funny to heart-wrenching, and all of them were filled with genuine joy and creativity. I couldn't have been happier with how things went, and I left that theater feeling like I could eat fire and walk on clouds. Did I just get bit by the stage-bug? Who knows. I'm just glad I got to go first. This group would have been a hard act to follow. #BelieveInWonder #onstage #storyteller

HOORAY!!! I am so excited to announce that we are accepting submissions for our new, RACC Grant funded anthology THE MAGIC WE MISS! We will be reviewing submissions into February, and will have a limited number of slots for stories 1000-3000 words in length. This is going to be so cool! Here is a brief breakdown:
"In a city (very much inspired by Portland and its surrounding boroughs) we find a young lady riding alone on public transit. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she catches a glimpse of an ogre! An actual ogre wearing a tattered overcoat, a flat cap, and reading a newspaper! What follows is a growing friendship between the girl and the world-weary magical creature. Their interactions will help reveal a world of wonders that exist parallel to our own, but invisible to most. Each story in the anthology will unfold in this setting, featuring magic, mystery, and true connection, all with a focus on imagination, resilience, and embracing the unknown."
Please follow the link below to submit your query. Thanks! #BelieveInWonder #raccgrant
https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLScRGRaoojn.../viewform...

​I'm so excited! I love starting the year off with a win! Josie really inspired me to make this project, and I'm so happy with the results. What's in it? Well, a lot of wonderous things; dragons (of course) and fairies, sasquatch and wendigo, Mothman and Baba Yaga! That's just a few of the 30 total illustrations for the project! Many thanks to @nfrazier_ for all his help, tech, and inspiration! This is our first book project with the new software and computer Believe In Wonder is excited to partner with The Patio Collective in 2024! Everyone, grab a coloring book and explore your creativity! #BelieveInWonder #CommunityBaby #coloringbooks #magic #cryptids

THANK YOU, FRIENDS AND FANS! We had an amazing and eventful 2023, and we've got big plans for 2024. This year began with a refresh on our website! We are so proud of all the initiatives we are putting together, and we want to have an updated and professional website to reflect our aspirations. We hope you enjoy it, and be on the lookout for even more additions coming this year. Thanks again, and ALWAYS BELIEVE IN WONDER!

First, thank you to our friends and supporters who have been there with us through this amazing year! We have faced all kinds of new experiences and found new ways to share our joy and art with so many new friends. Amongst our accomplishments this year; we were chalk artists at La Strada de Pastelli, I became a board member of Tualatin Valley Creates, Believe In Wonder was sponsored again to table at Rose City Comic Con, and we published three books - including two coloring books designed by Josie and the second part of The Epic of Nicholas the Maker! We were also nominated and received the Adoption Excellence Award for Family Contributions by the Department of Health and Human Services! Our whole family was flown to Washington, D.C., for the award ceremony, and we were able to visit the Museum of African American History as well! WOWEE! In addition, our documentary film, directed by Caleb Jacobson, premiered at many juried film festivals and won multiple awards! What an amazing year! We owe so many people for their love and support. Here's to a bigger and even more prosperous New Year. 

With love,
​The Parkers

We have had an amazing summer, and a great start to the fall! I promise to update the site soon, but in the meantme please check out the trailer for a new documentary about BELIEVE IN WONDER!

We're so excited to share this with you! We were recently invited (big thanks to Laura Stanfill) to write a feature about Believe In Wonder for BookLife and Publishers Weekly! In it we talk about our journey to publishing 15 books, with Pawsons 2 coming this fall! It's been a long road, and we see big things coming for our company. Please read, share, and get the word out! #BelieveInWonder #diversebooks #magicandwonder #kidlit #blackownedbusiness #storytellers

Check out the article here!

Photo by Laura Stanfill Family Photo by Noelle Bonn

Happy November everybody! When I feel that nip in the air, my imagination is always sparked anew. It may be early in the season for some,  but in my house the spirit of the holidays is ever present. So here it is...SANTA PROPAGANDA POSTER 2021!! This is my eleventh addition to the series, and I'm very proud it! In fact, this year's process helped me make a decision - I think I'll be making these for the rest of my life ☺. No one ever asked me to make these things,  but I've been compelled to make a new one each year for OVER A DECADE! It's about more than just the weird design challenge of making a inherently frightening and persuasive piece of marketing into something magical and hopeful. These posters are my attempt at spreading a piece of my joy with all of you. If my art puts even a little smile on someone's face, or sets off even a spark of inspiration, then the work is well worth the effort. So, Happy Holidays my friends! May your hearts be filled with light ❤

Inspired by J. C. Leyendecker's World War I Boy Scout Poster (1918).

​*We'll be taking orders for Santa Propaganda Posters on November 15th!

#believeinwonder #santaclaus #santapropaganda #christmasart #fantasyart

I stay busy most of the time - especially in my sketchbook. #fantasyart #sketchbook