Kaliah & Asara Books & Perspectives

From play and adventure, to social and personal challenges, join us on this journey of engaging storytelling and artistic expression of real-life experiences.

Our Books

Growing up with Kaliah and Asara series

Mommy, Is My Hair Nice?

An Amazon Bestseller, our debut book "Mommy is My Hair Nice?" introduces our family and our main characters Kaliah and Asara. Kaliah was picked on by a classmate who told her that her hair isn't nice, which really saddens her and prompts her to ask her mom if her hair is nice. Join the family for the discussion as Kaliah and her sister learn just how nice their hair is.

Kaliah's Club

In Kaliah's Club, the second in the Growing Up With Kaliah and Asara series, Kaliah learns it won't always be easy to fit in - even when dealing with a most trusted institution. After several months of participation, Kaliah is excluded from a very important ceremony. How will the family deal with this situation and keep the girls' spirits high in the face of this challenge?

Let's Go Ice Skating!

Book three, Let's Go Ice Skating! finds the family exploring life in Canada, more specifically the thrill of ice skating! Persistence is the key and adventure awaits as Kaliah and Asara take to the ice for the very first time. Will they have a great time? Will they get it right the first time. Find out more and join the girls on this exciting evening on the ice.

Available @ Barnes & Noble

Available @ Indigo

Available @ Amazon

ABOUT US

Meet our family

We are a family of four - from the tropical climes of Jamaica to the much more cooler, sometimes downright frigid weather in Canada - we've experienced life - the ups, the downs, the highs, the lows and the in-betweens. While these experiences don't define us they have helped to shape our lives.

Our stories are real. As we've grown, we've evolved, and we are sharing our stories through words and through art -- as seen from the perspectives of our children 'Kaliah' and 'Asara'. We are helping them to find their voices in this new space, helping them to determine their own narrative, telling their stories and in some cases bringing awareness to issues that many face but few talk about.

Thank you for stopping by our page and we welcome you on this journey of Growing Up With Kaliah & Asara! Enjoy our authentic stories of encouragement, empowerment, acceptance, adventure, courage, learning and persistence.

Meet The Author

Tanika J. Baker

TANIKA is a practicing communications professional with over 17 years in the field. For much of those years, a large part of her work involved writing content for various audiences. Writing about her daughters’ experiences was something she always thought about doing, especially when the girls were younger, but she never got around to it for one reason or another. Tanika, her husband Marlon, and their daughters Amira and Gianna moved from Jamaica to resettle in Canada in 2016. Their time in Canada and their experiences along the way inspired her to start writing and chronicling their journeys.

Here's What Our Readers Have To Say

Big Message!

This is a story with a very loud message! I think every mom of color (and other) should share this beautiful story of self love and acceptance. Right on time!

Marsha Wilson

Great story

This book has an incredible story. Not only for Black families but for those of us trying to raise anti-racist children. This is a great book with an important message and provides a great jumping off point to talking about our differences (and how beautiful they are) with our kids.

JH.

Timely and Powerful

This book is timely and powerful. Both my children enjoyed it. My daughter said she loves how this actually happened and now many little girls can read about it in a book with a positive message. Regardless of race, every little girl and boy should read this book as a reminder that anything that makes them different is BEAUTIFUL and they should be proud of their unique characteristics. Thank you to the author for sharing your light with the world.

Gyasi H.L Haynes

"An essential read!

This is the second book in this series by Tanika. I am absolutely hooked and can't wait for the next stories. These stories are heartfelt, emotional and very real. Tanika talks about experiences that are faced by many kids by drawing on personal experiences and shows us how she navigates through these delicate situations by ensuring the girls feel confident, loved, valued and so very special as they are.These books are an essential to every school and public library!"

Aarifa

Important story

"What an important story to read! I felt every bit of Khalia’s excitement and sadness as I read each page. Khalia’s Club is for everyone."

Myriam

Embracing our truth

"This is a gracefully told story. The author and artist impart a reassuring message about the importance of appreciating who you are, and being comfortable with your ethnicity. For anyone reading this book, it encourages children, especially children of diverse backgrounds to be proud of their heritage and enhancing self-confidence".

GreatLeader

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