Victoria Monét plans to release her first children’s book, Everywhere You Are, the “On My Mama” artist announced Wednesday. Everywhere You Are, expected to arrive June 24, 2025, uses the imagery of a moon and a young star to help children cope with separation anxiety. Printed in both English and Spanish with illustrations by Alea Marley, the book draws inspiration from Monét’s own experiences as a touring artist and mother.
“This book means so much to me! I love many types of writing, from poetry to music and eventually scripts, and it has always been a special dream of mine to write children’s books,” Monét said in a statement. “It brings so much joy to know that families will share moments of reflection, understanding, and quality time while reading this book for generations to come! I’m passionate about the subject of the book and explaining it in a way that is digestible for a child. I can’t wait to share it.”
The children’s book is printed in both English and Spanish with illustrations by Alea Marley.
Monét told People that reading drafts of the book to her daughter Hazel, whom she shares with former boyfriend John Gaines, gave her peace knowing she will “carry mommy with her wherever she goes.”
“In a way, writing this book healed a portion of naturally occurring mom guilt for not being able to be in two places at once,” the artist told the outlet. “I think for a lot of moms, if we had the option, we would spend every waking hour loving on our children in their presence, but for the modern-day working woman, it just isn’t very realistic.”
Her daughter has also played a role in her music career. Following the release of Jaguar II, Monét took home three Grammy Awards in February: Best New Artist, Best R&B Album, and Best Engineered Album, Non Classical. Ahead of the awards ceremony, her daughter made history as the youngest person nominated for an award at age two; her vocals can be heard on Jaguar II’s “Hollywood.”
In a 2023 Rolling Stone’s “Musicians on Musicians” interview between Kelly Rowland and Monét, the R&B singers talked about their kids’ relationships to music. Monét said that although her daughter is too young to identify with artists like Ariana Grande, she knows her mother’s voice. “It’s really sweet,” Monét said. “She’s like, ‘I wanna hear Mama’s song.’ So I’m like, ‘Well, my songs, baby, are talking about smoking.’ Like, I need a Kidz Bop.” Everywhere You Are will hopefully suffice in the meantime.
