The story behind Best Friends Storytelling is most importantly a story of life-long friendship.

Sonja and Kari met in an eighth-grade math class and immediately knew they were kindred spirits. They became friends and remained friends for many years.

Life moved on. Both friends had careers that took them away from their passions of writing and painting. Then, on a vacation in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, they decided to try to create a children’s book together. “Jamie Goes to the Beach” is their first book together. Sonja and Kari hope you have as much fun reading it as they had creating it.

 Meet the friends

  • Sonja Turner

    Author

    Sonja lives with her husband and two dogs in Seattle, Washington. (Yes, Jamie is a real dog!) After a career in technology and product management, she is happily pursuing her childhood dream of becoming a writer.

  • Kari Hart

    Illustrations + Design

    Kari lives in Phoenix, Arizona, where she has continued to develop her skills as an artist. Kari is adept at wildlife illustration, watercolor, and digital graphics. (By the way, Kari’s cat, Daisy, has a cameo in “Jamie Goes to the Beach.” See if your little one can find her.)