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Helping kids be kind
to themselves
& to the world
I write and draw things!
Written & illustrated by Sahar Shams · Penguin Random House
Everyone knows what
they want from Santa.
October 2026
But what does he want?
Kirkus Reviews: "cuteness meets kindness without a drop of corniness"
Sahar Shams is an award-winning author, illustrator, and mindfulness coach for children.
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📚 Pursuing her second master's in Counseling Psychology at CIIS
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🎨 MFA in Fine Art , Academy of Arts University
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🌱 Founder of The Little Soul, a nonprofit for children's mindfulness and social-emotional learning
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💡 Years spent designing learning experiences for children at ABCmouse & Adventure Academy
Her work brings creativity and psychology together to help raise a kinder, more resilient generation.
About
"I had a chance to look at her beautiful stories, There are tender and she tackles some very important themes, and she’s phenomenally talented, an extraordinary artist.
I can’t wait to see more!”
Peter H. Reynolds
Award-winning & New York Times bestselling creator of The Dot
Mindfulness & SEL Projects
I’m the founder of a nonprofit called The Little Soul, created with one simple hope: to help children feel safe inside themselves—more resilient, more self-compassionate, more at home in their own hearts.
Over the years, I’ve brought this mission to life through two children’s apps, and today my focus is on interactive, playful workshops where kids don’t just “learn” emotional skills—they experience them through stories, movement, creativity, and real connection
Michka
“Meeka’s Secret” is an interactive story app I created to gently support children who’ve experienced sexual abuse. With over 125,000 downloads, it became a safe and empowering tool for emotional healing through storytelling.
The Last Door
"The Last Door" is an interactive story app that gently helps Persian-speaking teenage boys explore their emotions and inner world—challenging traditional notions of masculinity and encouraging emotional awareness.
The Mural of kindness
The Mural of Kindness is a community art project that turns good deeds into lasting beauty. Children complete three acts of kindness—one for themselves, one for someone they love, and one for the planet. Their reflections inspire a mural painted on a school or community wall, celebrating the love and light they carry inside. At the end, each child signs their name beneath the mural—because kindness leaves a mark, and so do they.
"Play to Feel" workshop
A high-energy, interactive session where children use movement, sounds, and imagination to explore emotions by becoming playful characters like lions and trees. This fun workshop encourages creativity, mindfulness, and emotional intelligence.
I draw Things!
I have BFA in Fine Art from Art University of Tehran, and MFA from academy of Art University in San Francisco. I use my art to follow my passion in different mediums: Games, books, apps and animation.
