The Authors
Myrtle the Purple Turtle is a children's picture book series about friendship, kindness, inclusion and self-esteem. Written by Canadian-based, mother-daughter duo, Cynthia Reyes and Lauren Reyes-Grange, the books have been praised by children, parents and grandparents, teachers, librarians and book reviewers around the world.
How Myrtle Was Born
Nobody likes to feel left out or rejected by others. Unfortunately, it happens to many of us, children and adults alike, and suddenly, we aren’t so sure about ourselves any more.
The first Myrtle the Purple Turtle story was written for my daughter Lauren when she was a young child. Something happened to her at school one day and it made her very sad. I wanted to help her realize how truly special she was.
Over the following weeks, our family – Lauren’s older sister Nikisha, their father Hamlin and Lauren herself – kept improving the story till we felt we knew Myrtle really well!
Today, Lauren and I are co-authors and that single story has become a series about friendship, overcoming challenges and believing in yourself.
We hope you enjoy Myrtle and her friends. Thank you for reading.
Love,
Cynthia and Lauren
Cynthia Reyes
Cynthia Reyes is the award-winning author of several memoirs, as well as the co-author of Myrtle the Purple Turtle series.
Cynthia is a former journalist, producer and executive producer with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), producing more than a hundred episodes of network TV programs for both children and adults. She has won many awards, including the Children’s Broadcast Institute Award and the Crystal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film and Television.
Lauren Reyes-Grange
Lauren Reyes-Grange is the co-author of the Myrtle the Purple Turtle series. Her love of writing and storytelling started in childhood. She grew up in a family of writers and the first book, “Myrtle the Purple Turtle”, was created for her by her mother, Cynthia.
An experienced copywriter, Lauren has contributed to several magazine articles, websites and has her own blog. Lauren is a Toronto-based Digital Strategist who has worked in Canadian media and the Ontario public sector.