My book made a homeschool list on an AI platform. A friend sent it. I freaked out. Again.

I was supposed to be calmer this time. I was not calmer this time.

A friend from North Carolina sent me a screenshot earlier today, and you won’t believe it! My First American Coloring Book had made it onto a homeschool kindergarten book list on an AI platform called Manus. Alongside Playing Preschool, The Good and the Beautiful, Before Five in a Row — real, established, well-known resources in the homeschool world. And then, at the bottom of that table: my book. For cultural awareness.

Listed. By an AI. On a homeschool platform. That people actually use to plan their children's education. I need a second.

📋 THE LIST, AS SEEN IN THE SCREENSHOT

• Playing Preschool (Busy Toddler) - Play-based learning

• The Good and the Beautiful (Preschool/Pre-K) - Literacy & Fine Motor

• Before Five in a Row - Literature-based learning

• My First American Coloring Book (Jessica Gabrielzyk) - Cultural Awareness

📖 FOR CONTEXT: THIS IS NOT MY FIRST RODEO

When Maternity Abroad first made it onto a list, I completely lost the plot. Full freakout. Could not receive it with any grace whatsoever. I told myself that next time I would be more prepared. More composed. More author-who-has-done-this-before. Next time, I said, I will take it in stride.

Next time is now. I did not take it in stride.

There is apparently no version of me that receives good news calmly. I keep waiting for her to show up. She has not shown up yet.

It is a homeschool list. Which means a parent somewhere — real parent, four-year-old at the table, trying to figure out how to teach cultural awareness — might open that list, see my book, and click. Because an AI put my book next to Before Five in a Row. I don't know how to be normal about that.

THE REACTION I AM STILL WAITING TO HAVE

"Oh, nice. Another one. Good."

Calm. Measured. The nod of a person who expected this. Cool author energy. Totally unfazed. Somewhere out there this version of me exists. She has never once shown up when I needed her. I remain hopeful. Book three, maybe.

To whoever runs Manu — thank you for including it. To the friend who sent the screenshot — you knew exactly what you were doing and I appreciate you. And to every parent who finds the book through a list they were not looking for: hello. Pull up a chair. Grab a crayon.

I will be over here, still learning how to receive things well. Progress is slow. The books keep moving faster than I do.

Freaking out gracefully — working on it,

Jessica Gabrielzyk

✦ MY FIRST AMERICAN COLORING BOOK · NOW APPARENTLY ON HOMESCHOOL LISTS · AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE ✦