Ellie Meets the New Baby has won “Mom’s Choice Award”
By Josh Bootsma
LANSING, Ill. (August 2, 2021) – Paula Karll has turned her experiences as a mom into an award-winning children’s book.
Ellie Meets the New Baby is a book designed to help parents and children communicate about adapting to new siblings. A mother of two, Karll tells the story of Ellie, who struggles to embrace her new baby sister. As Ellie’s parents talk with her and share with her the baby’s needs, Ellie starts to learn and enjoy being a big sister.
Karll also incorporates a depiction of a multi-cultural family in the story, a family not dissimilar to her own. She says she wants to emphasize “the importance of love and kindness.”

“Families come in different shapes, forms, and colors,” she said, “yet are bonded by the experiences they create together.”
Local experiences
Karll grew up in Harvey and is the owner of Shear Designs Hair Salon & Hair Restoration Center in South Holland. She graduated from Trinity Christian College with a master’s degree in Special Education. She has 10 years of experience working with grades K–12.
She describes herself as a mentor, motivator, speaker, children’s literacy advocate, and diverse learner-educator. She’s also a member of the Council for Exceptional Children and the founder of Donate Knowledge, a new non-profit organization that donates books to less fortunate communities.
The author recently received a Mom’s Choice Award for Ellie Meets the New Baby. The book is the first of the upcoming series The Adventures of Ellie & Eve.
Ellie Meets the New Baby is available on Amazon and on Karll’s website, www.paulamkarrl.com.
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