Interview with creator and publisher C. Ariane Durden

By: Sheena C. Howard, 12-1-2020

1. You have a new book out! What’s the inspiration behind, Becoming a Superhero?

The idea of writing a kid’s nutrition book to fight childhood obesity had been in the back of my mind since my Nutrition Education class with Dr. Cotwright in 2014 when I was at UGA. At the time, I was inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to fight childhood obesity.  Over the years, I looked for ways to motivate kids to eat healthily and exercise in fun and different ways.  Finally, I thought of a way to use the food rainbow to encourage kids to eat superfoods to gain superpowers and a storyline to encourage activity.  Thus, Becoming a Superhero was born in 2019.  The copyright, edits, and illustrations were completed in 2020.  Topped by food rainbows, my two trademarks Superheroes eat the rainbow! and Superkids eat the rainbow! are being registered.

2. Tell us a little about Super Sasha Jones.

Sasha Jones is the new kid in school who wants to learn how to become a superhero.  The secret recipe shows you how, but it is missing.  Sasha races Eva Smith to be first to find the recipe and do what it says to become a superhero.  Both girls use different tactics to find the secret.  Along the way, Sasha’s tactics help her discover her superpowers and fight childhood obesity.  Through fantasy, Super Sasha Jones celebrates Black Girl Magic along with a cast of multicultural characters to take you on an adventure to Peach City in search of the superhero recipe. Super Sasha Jones inspires, motivates, and serves as a role model for kids to live healthy lives. 

3. What do you think makes this story different from other picture books on the market today? 

This story is different in that it uses fantasy to present nutrition facts in colorful, fun, and imaginative ways to hold kids’ interests.  It encourages and motivates kids to make healthy lifestyle choices which help to solve the problem of childhood obesity.  The healthy choices they make as children help them grow into a healthier generation of adults.

4. Who is the target audience for this book? Who do you want to read it?

The target audience is kids ages 5-10.  It can be read to toddlers and preschool children, but used by children of all ages.

5. Can you tell us a little about your background as a writer and creator?

Becoming a Superhero is my debut book.  As a child, I always enjoyed writing poems and stories for class, but I kept most writings to myself.  I had a story published in my school’s newsletter whereby I won 1st place.  The story was Winning the Cheerleading Competition when I was in the 7th grade.  I kept my interests in story writing in the back of my mind until I wrote this book.

6. Where can people find this book?

This book can be found at www.supersashajones.com which links to my Amazon page and social media.

The trailer for Becoming a Superhero can be found HERE