A Key to the Heart — Laura Simms

The book features color illustrations by children from AMERICA and AFGHANISTAN as well as a special foldout page that was created to allow kids from America to write messages, wishes and drawings to their counter-parts (the school children) in Afghanistan!

Once the foldout page is filled-in, it is supposed to be mailed to a school in Afghanistan that will then correspond back to the children in America. This feature was designed to connect children from Afghanistan to kids in the U.S. A Key To The Heart is more than a book. It is a message to the world to promote the cause of peace and friendship starting out with children and hopefully continuing on to the parents.

Written in English (with Afghani Dari translations at the back of the book so the Afghan kids can understand it) these stories are intended to inspire hope, love, encourage and to nurture a child's ability to dream. Ultimately, they are meant to provide the foundation towards understanding and peace in this troubled region that has known only war and conflict in recent generations.

The colorful images sprinkled throughout represent the beauty and power of the imagination. Delightfully designed, this book is reminiscent of "Le Petit Prince," filled with timeless teachings and charming in its appearance.

Created to support cultural nourishment and renewal of meaning for American and Afghan children, this work aims to promote global generosity and understanding, beginning with a dialogue between American and Afghan children that transcends histories of culture and religion.

A Key to the Heart has its own storytelling project, working with select schools in New York City. Each child is given two books, one for their personal use and one in which they add their own messages and wishes, to be sent to children at schools in Afghanistan. For thousands of years stories were told in Afghanistan to children not only to entertain them, but also to help them understand their world. Schools for young children were rare but storytelling was not. This storytelling project between American and Afghan schools unites the children and allows American children to participate in the rebuilding of Afghanistan while cherishing its wishes to respect Afghanistan's cultural heritage. Profits from the sale of books will be sent to partner schools in Afghanistan through humanitarian organizations.