Nicole Lataif's Blog
January 23, 2016
Register Now! Catholic Conference 4 Moms: "Faces of Mercy!"
October 26, 2015
LIVE TV Interview: EWTN "At Home With Jim and Joy"
April 10, 2015
“I Forgive You” Wins Christopher Award!
NICOLE LATAIF AND KATY BETZ WIN A 2015 CHRISTOPHER AWARD FOR “I FORGIVE YOU,” ONE OF 11 BOOKS FOR ADULTS & YOUNG PEOPLE
At the 66th annual gala May 13th, Lataif, a Brookline, Mass.-based author & Sarasota, Fla. illustrator Kathy Betz, will be honored along with creators of films & TV programs
NEW YORK, April 8, 2015—Brookline, Mass.-based author Nicole Lataif wins a second Christopher Award for her book, I Forgive You (Preschool and up, Pauline Books and Media). Through fun rhymes and colorful illustrations, Lataif and illustrator Katy Betz, from Sarasota, Fla., teach children to forgive others and channel their anger in a positive way. Their book, along with actor Henry Winkler’s, is one of 11 for adults and young people being honored at the 66th annual Christopher Awards, to be presented in New York City on May 13th, 2015. The 15 authors and illustrators are joined by 83 creators of nine films and TV programs
Lataif, who also wrote Forever You: A Book about Your Soul and Body, [which won a Christopher Award in 2013] and Betz provide examples of when to forgive with simple explanations of what happens when a child withholds forgiveness. They encourage children to do so without compromising their safety and as God does: gently, and with willingness to do so repeatedly.
Created in 1949, The Christopher Awards are presented to authors and illustrators as well as writers, producers and directors whose work “affirms the highest values of the human spirit.” Tony Rossi, Director of Communications, says, “The Christopher Awards are unique in that they celebrate both sacred and secular works across a variety of media. The stories we’re honoring—whether true or fictional—highlight people who rise above their own wants and needs to act selflessly, regardless of the sacrifice involved. These individuals are motivated by a higher purpose or a higher power—and sometimes both. As a result, they’re leaving their world better than they found it.”
The Christophers, a nonprofit organization founded in 1945 by Maryknoll Father James Keller, is rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition of service to God and humanity. The ancient Chinese proverb—“It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness”— guides its publishing, radio, leadership and awards programs. More information about The Christophers is available at www.christophers.org.
February 17, 2015
CatholicTV Interview: I Forgive You
CatholicTV Interview: I Forgive You
Nicole Lataif new children’s book, ‘I Forgive You’, is a much needed resource for little ones. She speaks more about it on CatholicTV’s This is the Day.
February 11, 2015
(Another!) BOOK GIVEAWAY: Give the Gift of God’s Love to a Child this Valentine’s Day!
This Valentine’s Day, teach a child TRUE love with the award-winning book, “Forever You: A Book About Your Soul and Body.” Kids will fall in love with the joy and mystery of being human as they learn that their bodies and souls are for loving God and loving others. “Your soul is in all you are and do, soul and body-forever you!” Enter this Goodreads book giveaway for an AUTHOR SIGNED-COPY by clicking the widget below. (One winner will be chosen at midnight on Valentine’s Day).
Or, learn more about this book here.
Or, look inside “Forever You” here.
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Forever You
by Nicole Lataif
Giveaway ends February 14, 2015.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
February 3, 2015
Who likes free books? Book Giveaway!
Hello friends! We are excited to announce a book giveaway (2 winners will receive a FREE signed-copy of I Forgive You: Love We Can Hear, Ask For and Give). Enter by clicking the widget below!
Goodreads Book Giveaway
I Forgive You
by Nicole Lataif
Giveaway ends February 08, 2015.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
November 24, 2014
‘I Forgive You’ Wins CWG’s Seal of Approval!
The children’s book for ages 4-8 I Forgive You: Love We Can Hear, Ask For and Give has been awarded the Catholic Writers Guild “Seal of Approval.” Thank you to the reviewers, Jennifer and Sarah, and to the Guild for this honor.
The purpose of the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval is to help Catholic bookstores and venues in their determination of the Catholicity of a work as well as minimum standard quality of writing. This reassurance from a professional organization can assist authors in marketing and promoting their works.
Learn more about the Catholic Writers Guild.
Click here to buy an author-signed copy of I Forgive You!
October 29, 2014
Christopher Closeup: Teaching Kids About Their Bodies, Their Souls and the Concept of Forgiveness
Christopher Closeup: Teaching Kids About Their Bodies, Their Souls and the Concept of Forgiveness
Thank you to The Christopher Closeups and Pathos.com for featuring this write-up!
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“If you save her life, I promise to dedicate my life to You.”
At age 19, Nicole Lataif made that promise to God while riding in the elevator at Boston Children’s Hospital where her 12-year-old sister was a few hours away from succumbing to cancer. Then, an instant later, Nicole changed her mind.
Speaking out loud, she said, “Even if You don’t save her life, I promise to dedicate my life to You.”
In a situation that might have driven some people away from believing in a loving, compassionate God, Nicole’s humility and faith grew stronger. They would grow even more a few hours later when she and her parents sat with her sister on her deathbed, and her heartbroken mother told her child, “It’s okay, go be with Jesus.”
During an interview on “Christopher Closeup,” Nicole recalled, “I remember watching that in complete awe. I felt like I was watching the Virgin Mary when she had to sacrifice her son in the same way…That defining moment was when I realized this life is not about me. It never was. And so, [my sister's] death led me to faith.”
In the year’s since her sister’s passing, Nicole has not only embraced her Catholic faith, but found a way to live it out in a special way: she writes Catholic books for young children (ages four to eight). Her talent and passion for writing emerged at a young age, so she felt called to pursue a career as an author.
Beyond that, there’s also a cultural reason for her genre choice. She said, “There’s a deep need for faith-based, value-based books for children. If you turn on any children’s station on television, or just watch how children are acting or dressing, [you can see] there’s a significant migration away from sacrificial love, being respectful, and honoring your body. My goal is to help turn that all around.”
You Can’t Have One Without the Other
Nicole’s first book was “Forever You: A Book About Your Soul and Body,” and it earned a 2012 Christopher Award (photo, left) for its fun, colorful illustrations (by Mary Rojas) and vital message about “the soul being present in every moment, action and emotion in a child’s life.”
Though the interconnectedness of our souls and bodies might seem like an adult concept, Nicole knew that she could communicate them in a child-friendly way.
She explained, “The whole book is full of concrete examples of how our soul is animated through our bodies: ‘Your soul is in your hands when you clap along. It’s in your ears when you hear a song. It’s in your toes when you splash the bath. It’s in your smile when you hug your cat. Your soul is in all you are and do—soul and body, forever you.’ Then we talk about how your soul is in what you feel…It shows through in your hopes…Then we move into your soul showing through when you love your friends, family, God. Where did it come from? ‘Your soul came from God when your life began. Because He wanted to love you forever.’ We talk about how everyone is a body with a soul….So, ‘Your soul is a gift for safekeeping. Care for it and nourish it, protect it, watch what you choose to do. Treat your body with love.’ Then, ‘Your soul is for helping. To those who are sad, offer comfort. To those who are sick, give care. To those who are hungry, bring food.’ So it’s not just about you; it’s about sacrificing for others and giving. Ultimately, [I write], ‘Your soul is for God….Your soul is for heaven, To one day return to God and live with the saints, and the angels, and your family, in your forever body, in your forever home.’”
In light of Nicole’s sister’s death, that last concept hits close to home for her, and can be especially comforting to anyone who has lost a loved one.
From Grudges to Forgiveness
Nicole’s latest book is called “I Forgive You: Love We Can Hear, Ask For and Give” (illustrated by Katy Betz) – and it was inspired by her own shortcomings in this area when she was a child. “I was not a kid who knew how to forgive!” she exclaimed. “I held grudges, especially with my little brother. But yet I never thought I had a problem with forgiveness…until I became an adult. God will stack the bricks on your head if you need to learn something, and that’s exactly what happened.”
While going through the toughest time in her life and needing to both forgive and be forgiven, Nicole realized that she had no idea how to learn to practice forgiveness. She discovered a book called “Forgiveness: A Catholic Approach” by Father Scott Hurd, published by the Daughters of St. Paul (who are also now Nicole’s publishers).
Father Hurd’s book, says Nicole, “helped me through the process of forgiveness, processing my feelings, learning the Christ-like way to forgive step-by-step. For example, [I learned] that forgiveness may take time – and that’s okay! It’s more important to be genuine with your ‘sorry’ than to be quick with your ‘sorry,’ and vice versa. [There's also] the concept of, ‘Don’t be a doormat!’ I think that there’s a huge misconception in the Christian community. Jesus told us to forgive seventy times seven times. What that means is not to return evil for evil. It doesn’t mean, ‘Stick around if you’re being abused.’ So there are a lot of revelations, throughout [Father Hurd's] book. By the end of it, I knew that I had to write one for kids.”
As Nicole wrote “I Forgive You,” she repeatedly thought back to her “brattiness as a kid” and asked herself how the steps to forgiveness could have been presented to her as a child in a way that she would have understood them.
For instance, regarding the damaging effects of holding grudges, Nicole writes, “Not forgiving is like having an elephant in your heart. He grows and grows. He gets heavier and heavier until…CRACK! He breaks your heart.” In this sense, there’s a continuum between “Forever You” and “I Forgive You” because it shows the effects that unforgiveness can have on both our souls and bodies, how it can move us away from being the loving beings God created us to be.
Another important concept in “I Forgive You” is summed up in the line, “God loves you. No matter what you do, He never says, ‘I’m through with you.’” That doesn’t mean misbehaving doesn’t have consequences, but rather that God will forgive us anything if we ask Him. “And if we can recognize how merciful God has been to us,” says Nicole, “then we will recognize how much He loves us and we can therefore love others in forgiveness.”
Nicole closes the book with a beautiful children’s prayer meant to give kids an easy way to review all the steps involved in forgiveness. She concludes, “I wanted kids to bring their hearts and their forgiveness issues right to the hands of God because He’s ultimately the only one who can truly help them through this. This book is a tool, adults are a tool, but God is the answer. So, I wanted them to remember that in a concrete way and a detailed fashion, you can speak to God about what you’re going through and He will listen.”
(To listen to the full interview with Nicole Lataif, click here)
