Lex Mongo

Meet Lex, educator and author of Little Big Dreamers, a story about how kids can achieve their dreams, no matter the adversity they might face.

What inspired Little Big Dreamers? 

Working as a teacher in the inner city school system, I constantly ask the students. “What do they want to be when they grow up?” The common answers are, “famous, NBA player, NFL player, singer” I thought to myself how can I get them to answer with more open mindedness, creativity, and passion? I wanted to do something timeless as well as easy for them to consume the info so I came up with a children’s book. To help drive them towards a more meaningful and thoughtful answer to understand they can expand their imagination and dream big. 
 

You say that “In life, adversity should be embraced not resisted.” What does that sentiment mean to you? How does it manifest within the book? 
 

Oftentimes we associate “adversity” as solely being negative. I would like them to flip that narrative to make a positive out of whatever situation they are faced with. In the book the first page says, “No matter where you come from, or the dreams you want to pursue, you can be anything that you put your mind to!” Directly aligning to the idea that they can make lemonade out of lemons and achieve their desired goals and dreams. 
 

The book explores the idea that “one does not have to be a sports hero, TV personality or famous to overcome any adversity that they may face; that we can achieve greatness and stability in many other ways.” How should we measure success or greatness for children? What kind of people do you think children should look to for inspiration behind this idea? 
 

That’s the thing. We need to understand that there is no adequate or “right” way to measure success or what it's supposed to look like. We all have different paths and it's important to embrace that. Genuine happiness should be the ultimate goal, to do what you love. Kids should look to people from their community, others they can relate to, as well as people who are doing things in the field of their passions. 
 

What do you want people to take away from having read this book, both parents and children? 

What I would love parents and children to take from reading this book is the importance of Dreaming Big. This isn’t just a picture book, but rather an opportunity to a better life, a life of fulfillment and happiness that comes when you live out your dreams. This book inspires you to dream, this book will give you the fundamental tools to achieve your dreams as well but changing the way you imagine. 

 

Tell us a little more about how the book came to fruition—do you intend to write more? If so, what ideas do you want to tackle? 
 

This book came to fruition very seamlessly. As if it were just meant to happen. I really had no expectations for how it would go or perform. I only wanted to motivate and encourage the younger generation. I plan to do more with the Little Big Dreamers brand such as an animation show and short stories. There are more important aspects to life that I think kids need guidance with and are crucial to their success. 
 

What was the most challenging part of this project? The most rewarding? 
 

The most challenging part of the project was the production and how I wanted it to be physically presented once I got all the words together. The most rewarding part has been all of the parents giving such amazing feedback, people sending videos or pictures of kids enjoying reading it, and just making a positive impact on their mindsets.