Livi's Possibilities - by Grady Brown (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"Livi's Possibilities" tells the story of a young gymnast who is struggling with believing in her own abilities. After making a new skill and losing it, Livi is determined that she will never make it again. Using what he calls the "possibility statements", Livi's coach helps her remember the power in believing in herself. Even though she struggles along the way, Livi ends up reaching her goals and finds success! This book is a great read for any kid who is wrestling with finding their inner strength.

About the Author

After a 30 year career in gymnastics, Brown decided it was time to share some of his stories and wisdom. Coaching gymnastics provided him with so many teachable moments that can be applied to life outside of the gym.

Growing up in rural Arkansas, gymnastics felt like it was a world away from him. In college he took a gymnastics class with someone whose parents owned a local gym. The next semester Brown was offered a part-time job and the rest is history.
Over the course of his career, Brown has coached every level in the sport. Using kid friendly words and concepts, he learned he could teach them big ideas that they could understand and apply to themselves both on and off the mat.

Meet Shelby Dillinger, a farm-raised Arkansas artist who found solace in art's therapeutic embrace at a young age. Shelby has worked as a leader in the corporate world for 25 years, but during quarantine, she dove deep into creating art as an outlet for sanity and expression. Amidst the challenges of the pandemic, Shelby also embraced her role as a caregiver for her mother, finding refuge and expression in art during the quiet moments. Shelby connects to her artist mom while creating new artwork, and she honors her mother's memory with each piece she shares.

This is Shelby's first illustration expenditure and working on this book with Grady is a dream come true. At this time of her life, she never thought she would be learning something new side-by-side with her hilarious kindergarten table buddy of more than 40 years. You can find Shelby's artwork in galleries across Northwest Arkansas, with permanent pieces at the Children's Safety Center in Washington County. You can find Shelby at home in Bella Vista, swapping art technique ideas with her artsy offspring, Jentry, while painting on a canvas with a couple of senior rescue pups in her lap.