Kaby

Born in 1966, I come from a family with roots in at least six distinct cultures, plus a dash of 254 Neanderthal genes that journeyed through millennia to reach me. My parents were quantum physicists, and my grandma, a berry expert, kept our home happy with her delicious baked treats. On cozy nights, we'd gather around the kitchen table with tea and grandma's berry pies, spinning playful tales about planets, rabbits, quarks, and flowers. Those family nights stayed with me for decades, through my entire career in IT and all the way to my home in Toronto. One day, while waiting for my own berry pie to bake, I began doodling on my iPad. Our cat Louey was watching and helping—everyone who has a cat knows how expertly cats help! Line by line, the adventurous team with Cat Louey at the helm came to life. That same evening, I shared it with my family. We named this newly baked world "The Land of Berry Pies on Marsimble," and its story began!

It's funny how dreams work. They wait decades sometimes, until a certain orange cat shows up to remind you that the most important stories are the ones that make children wonder what's possible. I've always felt a bit sad that animals never get a say in their own lives. They help us so much but then get overlooked when we build roads or cut down forests. So I started imagining: what if humans realized how much we owe to animals and plants? What if we worked together to create whole planets where creatures could live freely? Louey, in his own quiet way, nudged me with his orange paw toward a world where animals and plants could have a true, chartered sanctuary, a planet just for them called Marsimble, once known as Mars. That dream launched a series of sci-fi chapter books for curious kids, where a lovable team of sentient animals and plants takes center stage!

I grew up listening to stories around our kitchen table, my own child grew up with these tales, and I hope many more generations will grow up listening, reading, and imagining a friendly, kind future world around them! The soft sci-fi adventures on Marsimble are rooted in real science and life: it's a planet where forests communicate through echoes, bats translate vibrations, and kids learn the language of nature, DNA, absorbing biology concepts without even realizing it. Why? Because learning should feel like flying on a cloud, Cloud Chloe, that is. As our world enters the age of DNA editing, I want every child to understand what DNA really is and how important it is to get it right when we're working with Nature's code. These aren't just stories, they're gentle preparation for a future where understanding life's building blocks could help preserve it rather than accidentally harm it. Maybe one day, a human child will stand in front of a mirror, just like Chloe, and ask, 'What shape should I be today? Shall I have a fluffy tail, strong wings, or shimmering feathers?' That's the moment when wonder meets wisdom.

Creating for Yoto has been an incredible collaboration. My stories are brought to life by a professional narrator with many years of experience, whose voice captures the wonder and warmth that Marsimble deserves. But what really made me smile was working on Yoto's unique pixel art! Translating my characters from the physical books into those charming pixelated forms was such a delightful challenge, figuring out how to capture Louey's orange fluffiness and Chloe's ethereal cloud nature in tiny, perfect squares. Yoto feels like magic in the best possible way! There's something wonderful about a child choosing their own adventure by placing a physical card into a player. It's not passive scrolling or clicking, it's an intentional act that says 'I choose this story, I choose this moment.' This aligns perfectly with everything Marsimble represents. Just like Cloud Chloe asks 'What shape should I be today?' every Yoto card asks children 'What adventure should I choose today?' The physical ritual of selecting and inserting a card mirrors the transformation themes in our stories, where characters actively choose who they want to become.

The Marsimble universe is just getting started! I'm currently creating pixel art for my second chapter book, and I have a collection of songs and 5-minute stories in the works that will let kids explore even more corners of this magical planet. But here's what I'm most excited about: I want to invite young listeners to help shape Marsimble's future! What new creatures would you bring to this animal sanctuary planet? Which characters inspire you most? Maybe a shape-shifting butterfly who teaches about metamorphosis, or a wise old tree who remembers when Mars first became Marsimble? The beauty of an entire planet sanctuary is that there's room for every amazing creature a child can dream up. So listen, imagine, and then tell me: what should we add to Marsimble next? After all, the best worlds are the ones we build together!