Mrs. Gertrude Meeks resides in Norfolk, Virginia. She is married to Martin K. Meeks. She has one daughter, Mrs. Latoya S. Cherry, and son-in-law, Mr. Michael Cherry, and their two sons, Michael Tyreik Cherry and Mekhai Tyree Cherry. Mrs. Meeks has experience in the mental health fi eld as well as the education fi eld. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mental Retardation with certifi cations in mental retardation, learning disabilities, and emotional disturbance. She also holds a Master of Educational Science degree. She is the author of selected poems and creator of the Multi-stimulus Basic Shapes© and the Multi-stimulus Puzzle©. Mrs. Meeks wishes to contiunue writing children's books and lecturing. She is a strong believer in "It takes a whole village to raise a child."