‘Perfect the Way I Am’: An 8-Year-Old’s Stand Against Bullying

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Fort Worth author and business owner Keaidy Selmon says she will never forget the day her daughter, Khloe Bell, came home wondering why she apparently wasn’t pretty to anybody else.

Selmon showered her daughter in compliments that night, and because of the mother-daughter duo’s love of literature, they then “acted out” imagined stories. That’s what gave rise to a young heroine who ultimately realizes her inherent worth, and her story is illustrated within a children’s picture book.

"Perfect the Way I Am" is an anti-bullying book authored by Khloe, edited by her mother, and illustrated by Michael Bishop. To synopsize, the book follows a young superhero with great power who initially aims to change her appearance due to others making fun of her. The heroine, however, has an epiphany: If she were to change what makes her special, people who love her would not be able to recognize her.

Selmon and Khloe of Fort Worth say the story is the product of nearly five years of hard work. 

“We went through tons of illustrators before she found the one that could help her achieve the vision she had in her mind,” Selmon says. “After that, she put us through several rounds of revisions, so we are just happy to have everything completed in a way that makes her feel proud to tell this story.”

“Perfect the Way I Am” draws inspiration from “I Like Myself” by Karen Beaumont. In that book, the main character embraces everything that makes her unique, something Khloe admires.

Now, Selmon and Khloe are attempting to get the book published by means of crowdfunding on Kickstarter. Once the book is funded, it will be sold through Amazon and made available on the publisher’s website: LexxiKhanPresents.com.

“Every day, kids are facing issues of bullying,” Selmon says, “And it's time we remind them that they are perfect exactly as they are.”