Children’s books have long been valued for helping young readers understand the world around them. Yet for many military children, the world they experience daily rarely appears on the page. Frequent relocations, deployed parents, unfamiliar schools, and constant transitions shape childhood in ways that few mainstream picture books fully acknowledge. Maria Volodkevich, Air Force veteran, U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, and founder of Little Wingmen Press, believes that gap deserves attention. Through storytelling, she is creating books that help military children feel understood, represented, and celebrated.
In April 2026, Maria launched Operation: Care Package, the debut title in her Zooming Zoey & Wingman Willie picture book series. What began as a passion project quickly revealed something much larger.
The book sold more than 300 copies during its launch period, significantly outperforming the average lifetime sales of many independent picture books and highlighting strong interest from military families searching for relatable stories.
A Story Inspired by Service and Family Life
Maria’s motivation for creating the series came from personal understanding.
As an Air Force veteran and member of the military community, she recognized how deeply military life shapes childhood experiences. For many military children, transitions become routine. New schools, new communities, and periods of separation are often normal parts of growing up.
Yet despite these realities, books designed specifically for military children remain surprisingly limited.
“Military kids are little heroes who face deployments, new schools, constant moves, and change,” Maria says. “They deserve to see themselves in books too.”
That belief became the foundation for Little Wingmen Press, a children’s publishing company focused on helping military children see themselves as heroes within their own family stories through emotionally meaningful adventures.
Rather than simply entertaining readers, Maria hopes her books help children process emotions, build resilience, and feel a greater sense of belonging during uncertain moments.
Creating Momentum Through Community
Since launch, the response has continued expanding beyond online sales.
Maria has sponsored forty three books for military families while organizing storytime events at USO North Carolina Fort Bragg and Fort Belvoir, helping bring the stories directly into military communities. Plans are already underway to expand those partnerships to additional military installations.
Illustrator Garry Vaux also helped bring the vision to life, creating visuals that capture both the adventure and emotional warmth at the heart of the series.
The early momentum reflects something larger than strong book sales. It points to an underserved audience eager for meaningful representation.
A Bigger Mission Beyond One Book
Looking ahead, Maria plans to continue expanding the Zooming Zoey & Wingman Willie series through Little Wingmen Press, building a growing library of stories centered on military family experiences.
In an industry where military children have often been overlooked, Maria’s work is helping create something simple but powerful: books that remind children their stories matter too.
Learn More
To learn more about Maria Volodkevich and Little Wingmen Press, visit:
Zoey & Willie