Renata Bowers

This is my work and my passion: Awakening the story within.

Born and raised in rural Wisconsin, I have a deep love for the foundations of my childhood: an abundance of free time and wide-open spaces; love of family, faith and community; encouragement of imagination, play, music, movement, words. Because I had so much of this as a child, it’s my heart as an adult to share it with as many children as I can. And that’s where Frieda B. comes in. How she came to be is a serendipitous story all its own.  

I believe that within each of us is an incredibly unique and valuable story. Kind of like a lightbulb, it needs to be turned on to shine. So many of us – young and old alike – either don’t know it’s there at all, or believe we’re not good enough, or think it’s too late to light it. That’s nonsense. The world needs every good story – the unique potential and purpose inside each and every one of us. And so, there’s Frieda. To nudge us to believe, to dream, to flip the switch.

Since 2010 I’ve been sharing this message with children, youth and adults, using Frieda B. and the power of STORY to inspire and awaken the one-of-a-kind free-to-be human story within each of us.

* We have an ELA/SEL-based program for schools, called Frieda B. The Whole Child, to help PK-5 schools create a school-wide culture of authentic autonomy, community and resilience. Learn more at FriedaB.com/TWC.

* The home of Frieda B., LLC is in Somers, CT at The Story Barn - a sweet barn surrounded by nature, offering public and private events for all ages that inspire imagination, play, purpose, community and story.

* I write a blog called A Whole Child. Also, I’ve written a read-aloud guide for parents and caregivers, for each of the Frieda B. books. You can purchase these for free in our online store!

In short, my dream and story is to help create a world of realized stories among young and old alike. That is the gift I hope to leave. I live in Northern CT with my husband, David, and our two sons, Hunter and Garreth.