Where the Magic Begins — Meet Author
Arlene Wray!
Hello and welcome to the wonderful world of Snorkkel Whalengton™!📚✨
I’m Arlene Wray, author and creator of Snorkkel Whalengton—a collection of bilingual children’s books and inclusive stories created to inspire young minds and big imaginations.
As an early childhood educator, I believe stories have the power to help children learn, explore, feel included, and celebrate the world around them. Through kindness, diversity, language, and fun, Snorkkel Whalengton encourages every child to feel seen, valued, and excited about learning.
Whether you’re a parent, educator, caregiver, or young reader, I’m so happy you’re here.
Welcome to our journey—where little hearts meet big stories!
From Educator to Author:
Turning Little Lessons into Big Stories
Snorkkel was born from more than 20 years of working with young children as a preschool educator and nanny, along with one of my most treasured roles—being a grandmother. Throughout those years, I’ve had the joy of seeing firsthand just how curious, creative, imaginative, and full of possibility children can be.
Some of my favorite moments have happened during story time—watching little faces light up as they meet a new character, discover a new place, hear a new language, or simply ask, “Why?” Children have a wonderful way of turning the smallest moments into big adventures, and those experiences became part of the inspiration behind Snorkkel.
My passion for making stories accessible to more children is also deeply personal.
My grandfather was blind, and growing up, I watched him navigate a world where accessible books and resources were scarce, limiting his opportunities to enjoy information, stories, and entertainment.
That experience stayed with me and became part of a promise I made to myself: if I ever became a children’s author, I would do my best to make my stories accessible to children who are blind or visually impaired, too.
Today, that promise lives at the heart of Snorkkel and our commitment to helping more children experience the joy, wonder, and magic of storytelling.
Snorkkel Whalengton™ is a children’s series filled with imagination and adventure, while sharing meaningful lessons about kindness, empathy, friendship, diversity, and inclusion. My hope is to create stories that do more than entertain. I want children to laugh, learn, explore, ask questions, appreciate one another, and discover new ways of seeing the world around them.
Through bilingual and multilingual storytelling, Braille editions, and animation, Snorkkel brings stories to life in different and meaningful ways. Each format helps us build bridges between languages, cultures, abilities, and experiences while supporting Multilingual Learners, English Language Learners, and children discovering a new language.
At the heart of everything I create is one simple belief: every child deserves the opportunity to experience the magic of a story and to know there is a place for them within it.
Whether you are a parent, grandparent, educator, nanny, caregiver, or simply someone who believes in the power of children’s stories, I hope Snorkkel’s adventures bring the children in your life the same joy, curiosity, kindness, and sense of wonder that inspired me to become an author.
Every child deserves a story they can see, hear, feel, and call their own.
