The painting of Michelle Obama at the National Portrait Gallery stopped young Parker Curry in her tracks and now Parker and her mom penned a children’s book to inspire other kids to see endless possibilities.
"This experience speaks to Parker’s truth and literally to the first time she saw herself. There is just a profound awareness that transcends the everyday."
Virality being what it is, Parker and her mother Jessica (the co-author) are currently doing a book tour for the resulting children's book, with younger sister Ava, baby brother Cash, and dad in tow.
She remembers watching 2-year-old Parker looking up at Sherald's portrait of Obama and says Jackson's images bring "the magic of that moment back to life again."
Remember Parker Curry, the little girl who caught the attention of Michelle Obama when she stood awestruck in front of the former first lady's portrait? Well now she's telling her story in a new book.
Parker Curry first captured America’s attention when she stood mesmerized in front of the astonishing portrait of first lady Michelle Obama. Now, Parker and her mom are telling her story with their new children’s book, Parker Looks Up.
Michelle Obama shared that she had met Parker and included a picture with the little girl and a video of the two of them dancing to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.”
"Parker, I'm so glad I had the chance to meet you today (and for the dance party)! Keep on dreaming big for yourself…and maybe one day I'll proudly look up at a portrait of you."
"The photo, taken Thursday, has been shared, liked, tweeted, retweeted and Instagrammed thousands of times around the world. Obama reacted with not one but three heart-eye emoji."
Parker then told the daytime host that Obama was “her best friend,” only for DeGeneres to quip, “Yeah, remind her of that. She hasn’t called me lately.”
"In further discussion with (Parker) yesterday and today, I realized that she believes Michelle Obama is a queen, and she wants to be a queen as well."
"The little girl who met Michelle Obama after a photo of her staring at the former first lady's portrait went viral, sat down with CBS News' Chip Reid for a memorable interview."