Photography by Bo Carlock/Spacecrafting
Mara Ryan
Mara Ryan is an advocate. Her inspiration stems from her experience as a brand and marketing professional, a member of the Children’s Minnesota Foundation Board of Directors, and a mother who has navigated pediatric food allergies, ADHD and whose baby braved a four-month NICU stay during the pandemic. “My daughters have driven the path I have been on to make this world a bit better for them,” she says.
So when her second-grader, who has dyslexia, came home one day and explained that she had been given “baby books” while other classmates received more exciting material in class, Ryan wondered: Why aren’t there engaging books with age-appropriate topics and cool graphics available for kids navigating reading challenges?
She asked librarians, teachers and reading tutors. No one had go-to books for kids with dyslexia. So she decided to write one herself, based on a poem her family penned after saying goodbye to their beloved dog, Lucky. A past colleague, who understood the need and assignment, created beautiful illustrations for the self-published title, Lucky Dog. On the day of the launch, it sold out on Amazon.
“What I’ve learned is that making children’s books inclusive doesn’t have to be rocket science,” Ryan says. She points out that thoughtful design standards — such as dyslexia-friendly fonts, spacing rules and page color selection — can help, along with a focus on decodable words.
“There is so much power in simplicity and basic principles, which can help all children be successful,” she adds. Ryan hopes that someday, the list of books that tutors and teachers can recommend to children and parents navigating dyslexia will fill an entire library shelf.
“I hope my background as a mom on a mission and my desire to support families inspires others to roll up their sleeves and do what they can to make the world better for kids,” she concludes. “If everyone does a small part, a lot can be accomplished.”
