Reviewed by: Pat Byington
16-year-old Birmingham author donates $20K to Children’s of AL + receives NYC Big Book Award
Reading time: 2 minutes
Many teens dream of making it big and earning money doing what they love, but this Birmingham 16-year-old has decided to use her success and good fortune to better her community.
Callie Chapman, author of the “Glitter the Unicorn” book series, has donated $20,000 to Children’s of Alabama to fund art supplies for patients.
Chapman also started donating copies of her books to Alabama Family Courts to bring children comfort as they go through difficult family transitions.
The Mountain Brook teen had published three children’s books by the time she was 9 and has made it her goal to tell kids they can “dream big.”
To spread that message, Chapman visits schools, hospitals and literacy events to share her story of how she started writing and inspire other young readers and writers.
Chapman’s mom, Bronwyne, illustrates the books, and she said watching her daughter grow throughout these experiences has been special to watch.
“Watching Callie grow from a little girl with a big imagination into a young woman who truly lives her message — ‘Dream big. You are never too small to do big things.’ — has been one of my greatest joys. She’s never chased recognition, only the chance to make children smile, and seeing her generosity touch so many hearts has been deeply humbling as a parent.”
Bronwyne Chapman
Chapman is a two-time winner of the New York City Big Book Award — recognized in 2024 for “Glitter the Unicorn Loves to Color at the Beach” and again in 2025 for “Glitter the Unicorn Loves to Color on the Moon” — and earned her a spot on a Times Square billboard.
To explore the “Glitter the Unicorn” series and learn more about Chapman, visit her website or Amazon author page.
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