About Sondra

Sondra Z

I was a middle child. My older sister loved testing limits and was forever in trouble. My younger sister, arriving six years behind me, often needed Mom or Dad’s attention. In all of the commotion, I became invisible and loved it. I spent hours in my room drawing, reading, and writing in my diary.

Sondra and Sherry

Reading to my little sister.

Drawing pictures occupied a lot of my time. I entered every art contest imaginable and even won a few. My homemade cards for friends and family were legendary. My parents predicted I would work for Hallmark one day.

In between drawing, I read. The Scholastic Book Club was THE BEST thing about elementary school. My parents both worked, and the local library was not within walking distance of our house. This fact became bargaining power when the book flyer came around. Of course there was always a dollar limit, so I’d page through the flyer for hours calculating how many books I could actually purchase. The day that book order arrived was like Christmas morning! New books still make me feel this way.

Sherry, Sondra and Suzanne

Zalewski Sisterhood: Sherry, Sondra, Suzanne

I never did work for Hallmark. Instead, I became a graphic designer and a mom. My design job required many skills: creativity, writing, and editing. My parenting job required many skills too: patience, kindness, and reading tons of books to two children. Both jobs brought me great joy.

My kids grew older and started reading to themselves. I grew older and realized I loved writing, but not just copy for sales brochures. I loved writing stories—stories for children.

This is my new pursuit, and I couldn’t be happier.

— Sondra Zalewski