• Carinne Meyrignac spent her maternity leave in France, where her baby played with musical books. • She couldn't find similar products in English, so they had them made. • She left her corporate job during her second maternity leave.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Carinne Meyrignac, founder of Cali's Books. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I'm French, but I absolutely love living in LA. Still, during my maternity leave, I returned to Paris to be closer to my family. There, my baby adored singing books. She was only a few months old, but they kept her engaged.

When we returned to America, I couldn't find anything similar. At the same time, I was learning all the English nursery rhymes I hadn't grown up with. I loved singing rhymes like "Twinkle Twink

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