BOOK MARKED
Celebrating Differences
and Embracing
Diverse Friendships
Cyana Riley, author
of the new children’s
book “Not So
Different,” with her kids.

Courtesy photo
“Not So Different” was
inspired by the author’s
own interracial marriage
and biracial children.

By Joy Saha
W eaving simple rhymes and a col-
lection of curated illustrations
into a captivating picture tale,
the new children’s book “Not So Different”
encourages readers to embrace their own
differences and unapologetically celebrate
the uniqueness of others.

“I want this book to create a space where
children can talk about their differences
and they can point out differences with
their friends, their peers and their fami-
lies,” says first-time author Cyana Riley,
who lives in Maryland with her family.

A former preschool teacher, Riley developed
her passion for writing at a young age. She
enjoyed writing poetry and frequently con-
tributed to her school’s newspaper. Now, as a
mother of two, her primary literary goal is to
include and uplift the voices of minority chil-
dren within the world of books.

“I definitely want them to feel proud and
confident about being represented in a chil-
dren’s book,” she says.

“Not So Different” follows a young boy
as he engages in conversations with his six
friends about their diversity. Riley brain-
stormed the plot for three years, starting
when she was pregnant with her son. She
took inspiration from the diversity within
her own family, specifically from her inter-
racial marriage and her biracial children, to
craft the book’s larger theme.

“I wanted to create something where my
children could see their family structure in
a book,” she says.

The entire creative process for Riley’s
book took place over several years but her
actual writing process lasted for less than
a month. For Riley, the writing process
was both smooth and natural, especially
because the story itself was deeply personal.

“Not So Different” features illustrations
by Anastasia Kanavaliuk, a college student
who lives in Belarus. Riley describes
Kanavaliuk’s illustrations as “whimsical,
soft and inviting” and overall, a perfect fit
for her book and story.

As for the main takeaway message, Riley
explains that it relates to her larger themes
of acceptance and kindness.

“I want children to walk away knowing
and feeling like they are more comfortable
being friends with people no matter what
they look like and no matter the differ-
ences,” she says. “And that’s the big theme
of the book: celebrating your differences,
celebrating diversity and it being OK.” T
“Not So Different” can be purchased at
notsodifferentbook.com. WashingtonFAMILY.com 45