Storyteller: Ashley Franklin

Ashley Franklin is an Arkansas-based author whose work centers characters with big hearts and even bigger imaginations. She believes everyone, especially kids, deserves to see themselves reflected within the pages of a book.

Some of her most popular works include the picture books Disney’s The Little Mermaid: Make a Splash and NOT QUITE SNOW WHITE and her middle-grade short story “Creative Fixes” from the anthology ONCE UPON AN EID.  

Ashley received her M.A. from the University of Delaware and B.A. from Albright College, both in English Literature. In 2021, The Highlights Foundation selected Ashley to be a part of its first-ever Muslim Storytellers Fellowship cohort. Her picture book, The Masjid Kamal Loves, was a Kirkus Reviews pick for one of the Best Picture Books of 2023 That Celebrate Community.

When she is not writing, Ashley’s time is filled with being a mother and adjunct college professor. 

Ashley is represented by Kathleen Rushall of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. 

How will Muslim children see themselves in your stories?

“I don’t believe that all Muslim children will connect with my stories, but I do believe that all Muslim children will be able to find a bit of themselves in my stories. After all, we are not a monolith. I want to write Muslim characters who are proud, anxious, depressed, joyous, and more. I envision Muslim children to be able to take any one of my characters and recognize that they may have felt like that character at one time or another. They will see themselves as complex and relatable.”