Vivian Santos is a Brazilian children’s book author currently based in New York. She was born in Pernambuco and grew up in different states in Brazil, which helped fuel her curiosity about different cultures. She fell in love with books at a young age, devouring every page she could get her hands on, from dictionaries to Bibles. With a degree in International Relations and a professional background in childcare under her belt, Vivian creates stories about identity, faith, emotional development, history, multiculturalism, and belonging. Through her publishing imprint, Vivinha Books, she seeks to bring children the same feeling of wonder that books brought her as a child while also teaching them valuable lessons about their world. Her books are God Knows Who You Are, What Christians Believe, When My Heart Feels Tight, New York Hugs Me Tighter, and Emotional Damage Dog.
FF: What was the inspiration behind writing your children’s book, God Knows Who You Are?
My inspiration was my own childhood. When I was a child, unfortunately, I didn’t really know how to deal with certain things, like bullying, for example. I used to believe that what other people said about me defined my worth, which isn’t true.
So I wanted to create this book as a guide to help children understand that their worth has nothing to do with what other people say about them. They have intrinsic value in God’s eyes.
We don’t come into this world with a manual telling us how to deal with every difficult situation. This book is, in a way, my attempt to give children some guidance for those moments, based on things I learned through my own experiences and on what I believe can help when they are going through something difficult.
That was one of my main motivations because I thought, well, now, as an adult, I understand this, but as a child, even though I read the Bible and went to church, I didn’t have the tools to connect all that information in my head and truly understand what it meant.
I wanted to bring that understanding of the Bible to children in a simpler, more accessible way, so they could understand that they are valuable to God, regardless of what other people say about them.
Because sometimes people will say mean things to you, but God will always love you. He is always here, waiting for you. This is what I wanted to convey in this book. Sometimes you may not feel accepted at school or by other kids, but regardless of who accepts you, you will always be loved by God.
FF: God Knows Who You Are centers around the themes of identity, worth, and uniqueness. What’s your strategy for talking about such complex topics in a way small children can easily understand?
At the beginning of the book, I introduce little things that any child could recognize and relate to. For instance, loving to draw, being a good friend, or simply not having discovered their talent yet. These are details that children can see in themselves and recognize as part of their personalities.
It is very common for children to struggle with self-doubt and try to discover who they are at a young age. I want them to know that they are loved and valued even in the middle of this self-discovery and struggle.
FF: Were there any Bible verses or passages that were particularly impactful to you when writing God Knows Who You Are?
I think Psalm 139:14, about being fearfully and wonderfully made, is one of the Bible verses dearest to me and one that I tried to incorporate into the book. I think that God Knows Who You Are is also built on verses such as 1 Samuel 16:7, which speaks about how the Lord looks at the heart.
I wanted children to realize that God knows who they are even while they may still be trying to determine that on their own. It seems that, especially as children, we try too hard to impress others, to make others see us in a certain way. We lose sight of the fact that God sees us in a much deeper way than other people possibly can.
When I think about Jesus, I have so much joy in my heart that I can hardly contain it. It makes me feel full, as if there is nothing else I need in this world. I want children to experience the joy of knowing God this way.
FF: What is the most rewarding part of writing children’s books?
I think that the most rewarding part for me is learning while writing. Sometimes I have personal questions that I want to explore and find answers to, while other times I have messages that I think the world needs to hear, and I think about how I can deliver those messages in books that are both educational and entertaining for children.
I think people don’t always give children’s literature enough credit for how much it can entertain children while also teaching them valuable lessons. Therefore, I think it is important to take the role seriously and try to spread positive messages through your work.
For me, the most rewarding part is learning while writing and bringing valuable messages into the lives of young people through my work.
FF: If readers walked away from your book with one key idea, what would you want them to remember?
That they are loved, that they are precious, and that the mean things people might say about them don’t have power over who they are. That God knows their hearts and who they really are, and that’s what matters most. That asking for help when they’re going through something difficult is a brave thing to do.
FF: What can readers expect from you next? Are there any other books in the works?
They can expect many more books! I write about everything I believe would be positive for a child to learn, so I have so many ideas in the works!
