Three people, one book.
Llama Locomotion is the work of three people: the author who has spent her career studying how the body shapes the mind, the illustrator who brought Sammy to life, and the publisher who believed in the project early.
Dr. Deborah Sharp Molchan
Ph.D. · Licensed Psychologist
Deborah Sharp Molchan, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and maintains a private practice in Uniontown and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Deborah lives in Uniontown with her husband, David, and enjoys visiting her daughters Kate and Lauren. She practices yoga, and enjoys skiing, kayaking, sailing, and golfing.
She is passionate about exercise as a support for brain health. Deborah's creative process is nurtured from her research interests in psychology — the through-line that connects the clinic, the lectures to college athletes, the audio CDs, and the children's book.
Emily Hercock
Freelance Illustrator · Watlington, UK
Emily has worked as a freelance illustrator for nearly ten years, building her business from the ground up. As a child, Emily could always be found with a pen and paper in her hand, drawing away at her latest artwork creation. She never believed she could make a career out of her hobby — but with a lot of determination and hard work, she turned her love of art into her own business.
Emily lives in the small, sleepy village of Watlington in the UK, where she resides with her husband, Michael, and their thoroughly-mad kittens, Rupert and Missy. Her illustrations bring Sammy the llama to life on every page.
Dr. Karen Croftcheck
Founder · Oprelle Publications, LLC
Dr. Karen Croftcheck founded Oprelle Publications in a humble high school English classroom. Realizing the depth of creative talent among her students, she couldn't bear the thought of their soulful, intriguing words going unshared — so she founded an independent publishing company whose mission is to prevent that tragedy from happening.
She has always carried with her, and continues still, a deep passion for the written word. Oprelle published Llama Locomotion in 2022.
A small team, one shared idea.
The book exists because three people — a clinician, an illustrator, and a publisher — agreed on a single idea: movement helps children's brains grow up well. Three professions, one premise.