Contributors

Laurel Palmer

Illustrator

Laurel Palmer has always been interested in children's books and in illustrating. When she was in kindergarten she was drawing a picture of Pinocchio and her teacher moved her to her own table so the other students wouldn't bump her. She drew illustrations of Adam and Eve, a book about a snake moving to Kalamazoo, and pictures for a book one of her dad's friends was writing. She remembers visiting the library when she was young and loving the books in the children's section. Her favorite author/illustrators were Maurice Sendak and Dr Seuss. She still visits the children's section of the library to this day and collects children's books at every opportunity.

Laurel Palmer grew up in Idaho. She has a bachelors degree in art with an emphasis in illustration. She lives in Virginia with her husband, two children, and Siamese cat.

You can see more of Laurel's work here.

Laurel palmer
What would you do if you had to leave everything behind?

By the end of 2025, more than 117.8 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced by war, persecution, or human rights abuses — and 45 million of them are children.

They arrive in refugee camps and countries seeking safety and carrying little: legal papers, if they're lucky. A backpack. A child's hand in theirs.

What they carry that we can't see is heavier: fractured families, homes they'll never return to, professions they loved, friends and relatives they may never see again.

In a climate where immigrant stories are often ignored or twisted, we believe stories are a form of justice. When someone shares what they survived, they reclaim their voice. When we amplify it through film, photography, and advocacy, the world listens. Hearts soften. Policy begins to shift.

Because when a lawmaker sees a person instead of a statistic, and a neighbor understands instead of fears, rebuilding becomes possible.

Your support helps us share these stories where they matter most.

— Kristen Smith Dayley, Executive Director, Their Story is Our Story

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