Shachar Edry

Shachar Edry was born with several large birthmarks called nevi throughout her body. Doctors removed the birthmarks which they thought might become cancerous. But her most dangerous birthmark, the one embedded in the front of her brain, is extremely difficult to remove.

"Hi. My name is Shachar. I live in a community overlooking the Elah Valley in Israel. Today is my 10th birthday. But I’m not the only one celebrating. It’s also Kuti’s 10th birthday today. Kuti lives in my brain, just behind my forehead.

“I also love to draw which is one of the reasons I decided to make this book. I also wanted to tell everybody about Kuti, my most troubling spot.”

Shachar and Kuti is a children’s picture book for 5-to-8-year-olds published in the Fall of 2018. It tells the inspirational story of a 10-year-old Israeli girl’s personal struggle to live with a frightening medical condition. In her book, Shachar also describes her self-affirming response to children who are shocked or uncomfortable when they see her for the first time. Her personal story is an homage to acceptance and tolerance that will appeal to all children.

"I tell them: 'My spots are not normal, but I am. They are part of me, but not all of me. I love my friends. I go to school. I belong to a scout troop. I swim. I’m really just like you!'”

"Shachar and Kuti" is available online in both paperback and ebook formats. A Hebrew-language edition, published separately in Israel, is also available.