A Puppy's New Home

Sam Ratcliffe-D'Arrigo on Pet Life Radio

This week Sam chats with author AJ Richards and artist Rayah Jaymes of  A Puppy's New Home and a series of educational books specifically for children.


BIO:


A.J. Richards

Hi! I’m A.J. Richards, author of A Puppy's New Home book series. I have always been surrounded by animals: dogs, cats, horses, deer, hamsters, gerbils, and many others to name a few. From an early age, I began caring for numerous shelter pets and continued into adulthood. Helping dogs and people in need has always been important to me. I earned a BA in American literature and a MA in public administration while working with at-risk youth for a Nebraska non-profit, Completely KIDS, in after-school and children’s enrichment capacities. I now live in Berkeley, California researching, writing, and continuing to help animals and kids have brighter futures.


Rayah Jaymes

I'm Rayah Jaymes. Like most artists, I'm a creative chameleon, feeling my way around different areas of the arts. However, I'm also a serious business woman; I started my own catering company at 15 and went on to manage several restaurants. Two years ago, I decided to make my side passion of illustration, my labor of love (aka job). I've illustrated seven books (six children) and have a few more in production that will be published by the end of the year. I come from an incredibly large, multicultural family, which continues to inspire my art and storytelling. I aspire to illustrate many more books that educate children and their parents about the diverse world around them, and how they can make it better everyday in everything they do.