Kelley Paul, wife of Senator Rand Paul and daughter-in-law of former Congressman Ron Paul, has emerged as a powerful surrogate in American politics. With her new children's book, "Good Night, Young American," she's taking on a new role – author and storyteller.
Paul drew inspiration for the book from her family, particularly her daughter-in-law Kate, who expressed a desire for more patriotic books for young children. The result is a visually engaging journey through early and colonial American history, recommended for children aged 4-8.
The book follows a young boy as he explores America's founding, meeting historical figures such as Sam Adams, Ben Franklin, and George Washington. Paul worked closely with illustrator Marika Monesi to bring the events to life in a dynamic and exciting way.
Paul's motivation for the book is rooted in her concern that American history is no longer celebrated in schools. "I do think that we've gotten away from really celebrating our founders and our heroes," she said. "What they were doing in 1776 was incredibly radical. At that time, everyone accepted the divine right of kings. Everyone accepted hereditary rule. And our founders took Enlightenment ideas from John Locke and philosophers, and they turned it into the framework for a government."
Paul hopes that her books will stimulate the natural curiosity of America's youth to learn more about their rich history. "I hope that my books will spark a lot of questions and that they will give a framework for parents to talk to their kids about the founding of this country," she said.
One of the biggest challenges Paul faced was taking big ideas and distilling them down into an accessible format for kids. "I try to use language that kids could understand, and very much use simple terms," she said. "But if you think about it, it is simple. Our rights come from God."
Paul's husband, Senator Rand Paul, played a key role in the book's thematic development. "Rand has been incredibly supportive," Paul said. "He would read over the drafts and gave me a lot of good advice about things in history that he thought I should include."
Paul's ultimate goal is to help children from a young age develop a sense of pride in America's story and the heroism of its revolutionary founders. "I hope children from a very, very young age will come away with this idea that they are a part of America's story, that they as Americans can take pride in the heroism of our revolutionary founders," she said.
