Emery & Lila Press releases debut children's picture book Sophie's Big Day (Almost) by Atlanta and Neo Sophia founder author Ndikumo Riva Kajangu

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Apr 07, 2026, 09:05 ET

Written for his daughter's fourth birthday, the hardcover picture book illustrated by Marta Dorado is available now at sophiesbigday.com

ATLANTA, April 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Emery & Lila Press today announced the release of Sophie's Big Day (Almost), a debut children's picture book written by Ndikumo Riva Kajangu and illustrated by Marta Dorado. The 40-page hardcover, written as a birthday gift for the author's four-year-old daughter, is available now at sophiesbigday.com with an initial print run of 5,000 copies for North American distribution.

Before the book. Before the company. Just a dad holding everything that matters. Riva Kajangu with their children, the inspiration behind Neo Sophia’s mission to make early autism screening simple, accessible, and available to every parent. (PRNewsfoto/Neo Sophia)

The book follows Sophie Fox, a spirited young fox in striped pajamas who desperately wants to ride the school bus with her older brother on the first day of school. When she learns she must wait, Sophie discovers that being little has its own kind of magic. The book targets children ages 3 to 7 and was written over eight months by Kajangu, who composed much of it on his phone at 2 a.m. and on whatever paper was nearby when the words arrived.

"I came to this country at 10 years old with zero English," said Kajangu, founder of Atlanta-based autism platform Neo Sophia Inc. "I built a company for children who need a voice and can't pay for one. I wrote a book from scratch for a little girl who turns four on April 11. Sophie is her. The almost moments, the big plans, the determination. I wrote this because I wanted her to know that almost is not failure. Almost is where the story begins."

Kajangu founded Neo Sophia Inc. to provide free autism screening and specialist access to families through its mobile app, Screener - Early Help, available on iOS and Android. The book's illustrations were created by Marta Dorado, a Spain-based children's book illustrator represented by Astound US Inc.

Sophie's Big Day (Almost) is available at sophiesbigday.com. ISBN: 979-8-9956267-0-1.

About Emery & Lila Press Emery & Lila Press is an independent children's book imprint founded by Ndikumo Riva Kajangu and based in Atlanta, Georgia. The imprint publishes stories rooted in family, curiosity and the in-between moments of childhood.

About Neo Sophia Inc. Neo Sophia Inc. is an Atlanta-based startup building free autism early screening and management tools for families. Free parent specialist support is available at AMAP.neosophia.com.

SOURCE Neo Sophia