Additional information
by Shakira Maharaj (Author), Karen Vermeulen (Illustrator)
2026 Moonbeam Awards Silver Medalist - Family Category
The magical Council of Aunties are the only ones who can decide if Max and Meera can adopt a baby of their very own.
To prove they can become parents, Max and Meera must complete three challenges-collect enough joy, love, and hope for the Aunties. Each task seems overwhelming, but a child is waiting, and they are determined to be ready, too.
Everyday Magic is inspired by the adoption process, and recreates it in this fairytale, about what it means to build a family.
Author Biography
Shakira Maharaj is a debut children's book author from South Africa. She lives in Cape Town with her young son, tired husband and chubby dog. She has a Master's Degree from the University of Cape Town, and when she's not writing or mothering, she works for an NGO focused on early childhood development.
Karen Vermeulen is an artist, illustrator, and teacher living in Cape Town, South Africa, known for her happy, uplifting and quirky creations. She is the illustrator of the 2023 picture book, It's Just Skin, Silly! and the 2024 release of Wanjiku, Child of Mine, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Book. She is the author and illustrator of Good Luck To Us All: A Graphic Novel of Sorts (Catalyst Press, 2024).
