Cherie Okonski is an accomplished artist, children's author, and a pilates enthusiast to the core. She lives in Stevensville Michigan with family, where she currently devotes her time to the creation of books that stimulate young children’s imaginations while helping them confidently navigate life's complexities in an often confusing world.

Cherie's legacy is defined by her dedication to help parents and educators increase the spread of love and kindness in today’s world through the kids they impact. Her most recent works of heart include writing and hand-illustrating stories of Gumper The Rabbit—a bunny born with short ears who’s heartwarming discoveries teach valuable lessons about the importance of love, and how one’s differences can be embraced as a gift to help others.

Her love for helping others has led her in a wide range of local involvement over the years. From establishing a community food network for low income households, to getting her CDL just so that she could volunteer to drive the local school bus for disabled children, Cherie is always on the lookout for ways to practice the same love and kindness that her books teach. That is why 100% of the proceeds of her first Gumper the Rabbit book go towards helping kids with congenital heart conditions at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.

Cherie’s favorite kind of day involves one where she can get fully immersed in her art and lose all track of time. Her artistic talents span multiple mediums and as a lifelong student of art, she enjoys experimenting with new styles and techniques. Having spent 13 years creating privately commissioned portrait art for celebrities in her California studio, she has admitted to the new found joys of having a more enthusiastic (and slightly less critical) young audience for her work.

With every stroke of color and each word she writes, Cherie Okonski leaves an indelible mark on the world, inspiring a new generation of kind-hearted and confident individuals.