Alissa Holder Books in Order

Alissa Holder is a New York City children’s author and early childhood teacher whose picture books grew from a family moment. Her stories center on Ayaan, a young boy learning to meet ordinary worries with positive words, kindness, and help from the people around him.

Holder earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the State University of New York at Albany. She has worked as a teacher in a New York City childcare center, a job that keeps her close to the questions, moods, and small victories that shape a child’s day.

In 2019, Holder shared a video of her son Ayaan repeating affirmations on the way to school. She had begun teaching him the words when he was two, hoping they would become a tool he could use when he needed encouragement. The video connected with a wide audience and gave Holder a clear starting point for a picture book.

That small ritual became a book.

Her debut picture book, I Am Smart, I Am Blessed, I Can Do Anything!, was written with her sister, Zulekha Holder-Young, and illustrated by Nneka Myers. It follows Ayaan as he starts a day feeling unsure about school. His mother, neighbors, and a few familiar words help him turn that worry into a steadier kind of confidence.

The follow-up, I Am Amazing!, returns to Ayaan on the playground, wearing a superhero cape and looking for ways to help. When other children question whether he looks like a hero, his father gives him space to name the qualities that matter: being kind, brave, and useful to others.

The superhero costume is fun, but the books keep their feet on the ground.

Both stories use everyday places, including the walk to school, the classroom, the neighborhood, and the playground. The tension is small enough for young children to recognize, a nervous feeling, a hard task, an unkind comment, but it is never dismissed. Adults listen, offer encouragement, and let Ayaan take part in finding his own way forward.

That approach reflects Holder’s experience with young children. Rather than giving readers a lecture, the books show affirmation as something families can say together, then put into practice. The repeated lines invite participation, while Myers’s bright illustrations give the characters a warm, busy community around them.

Holder is also a mother, and Ayaan’s real-life affirmation routine provided the starting point for her first book. The family connection is clear without making the stories feel like a diary, since Ayaan faces familiar problems that many young readers will know. Her two books make a natural pair: begin with I Am Smart, I Am Blessed, I Can Do Anything! for a school-morning confidence boost, then try I Am Amazing! for a gentle story about self-image, compassion, and helping others. They also offer an easy opening for children and adults to talk about confidence.