Shel Curry has always dreamed of being an author. When she was a little girl, getting her first library card and writing her name in fancy, cursive letters was a defining moment in her literary journey. Although the crumbled card is long gone, Shel has been an avid reader and book lover for many years. Libraries are an adventure for her.

During the 2020 pandemic and while working from home in an office shared with her school-age children, she taught her youngest son Ethan to read – a joint family endeavor that took several months of repetition, recognition, reading tricks, and rewards. "The Bedtime Story Race"  would not be possible without support from her husband and No. 1 fan Mike (the BEST teacher in the house), her mother-in-law Myrtle who came out of retirement to spend extra grandma time with Ethan to make sure he learned his sight words, and her family and friends. "The Bedtime Story Race" is Shel’s first picture book, and she hopes to inspire other kids who may be struggling to read or those who may not always see themselves in the books they are assigned at school.