Palmetto Publishing Releases Dr. Nakia Wilson's New Picture Book About a Beloved Uncle With Disabilities

Now available, Meet Uncle Tinkums follows two Texas sisters who call their uncle in California every morning and learn that communication does not always require words.

CHARLESTON, S.C., Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Palmetto Publishing has released Meet Uncle Tinkums, a new children's picture book written by Dr. Nakia Wilson and illustrated by Arin Wilson. The book is the first title in a planned picture book series for readers ages four to eight. It introduces a family separated by distance but connected by a daily phone call.

The story follows India and Imari, two young sisters living in Texas. Every morning they pick up the phone to call their uncle, Travis, whom everyone who loves him calls Uncle Tinkums. He lives in California with his Adoptive Mother, Sweetheart, and a family who adores him. He wears glasses to help him see. He uses a wheelchair to get around. A team of helpers keeps him healthy and strong. He cannot walk, and he does not speak in words, but his smile can light up an entire room.

The sisters are curious, and their questions drive the book. They want to know how their uncle plays, how he eats, how he listens to music, and how he tells the people around him what he wants. Sweetheart answers them with patience, and the girls begin to recognize the ways their uncle already communicates with them through the screen. What the sisters learn reaches past a single phone call and shapes how they understand difference itself.

Dr. Nakia Wilson / Illustrated by: Arin Wilson stated, "A voice is not limited to words. Every child has something meaningful to say, and every child deserves to be seen, understood, included, and celebrated".  

The book arrives as families, classrooms, and libraries continue to seek picture books that represent disability from inside a loving household rather than as a lesson delivered from outside it. It is written for children, families, teachers, and caregivers, including households touched by foster care and homes raising children with diverse abilities. Dr. Nakia Wilson is an educator, leadership consultant, and nonprofit executive with more than two decades of experience serving children, families, and communities. She is a foster parent and an advocate for children with diverse abilities, and she is the founder of Wilson Impact Publishing and The Wilson Impact Group. Meet Uncle Tinkums is her debut picture book.

Meet Uncle Tinkums is available for purchase online at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. For more information about the author, please visit their social media platform.

Instagram:  MeetTinkums

About the Author: Dr. Nakia Wilson is an educator, leadership consultant, and nonprofit executive with more than two decades of experience serving children, families, and communities. A foster parent and advocate for children with diverse abilities, she brings firsthand compassion to her debut picture book, Meet Uncle Tinkums, a heartwarming story celebrating differences, empathy, and the power of love beyond words. She is the founder of Wilson Impact Publishing and The Wilson Impact Group. Learn more at WilsonImpactPublishing.com.

About the Book:

Title: Meet Uncle Tinkums

Author: Dr. Nakia Wilson / Illustrated by: Arin Wilson

Publisher: Palmetto Publishing

Publication date: October 27, 2026

ISBN-13: a, 9798318850431, 9798318850455

Available for interviews: Author, Dr. Nakia Wilson / Illustrated by: Arin Wilson

SOURCE Palmetto Publishing