Ashanti veteran female R&B singer has published her very first children’s picture book titled – My Name Is a Story.
The 41-year-old songstress stopped by “Good Morning America” show alongside rapper Ja Rule on Wednesday to promote her book. She adorned a colorful Dolce & Gabbana romper for her appearance.
Ashanti also appeared at Essence Music Festival last weekend where she happily signed autographed copies of her new book.
Ashanti said she wrote the book after meeting people who also grew up with “unique” names. Using herself a an example, she said she was constantly questioned by people on how to spell her name.
“The stories were like, ‘I’m so glad that you’re doing this because I always felt embarrassed when it was time for the teacher to call out everyone’s name and she would stutter on my name,'” Ashanti tells PEOPLE. “I didn’t want them to feel like that.”
The Grammy award-winning singer says her name Ashanti means “woman of strength”, and the character in her new children’s book celebrates her unique name and the history behind it.
Ashanti is currently working out plans to put her career on hold so as to finally have children of her own. The singer who owns her masters can comfortably afford to raise her children as a single mom. She said her kids will be loving and open minded with a great sense of humor.
“I want my kids to have such an open mind. I want my kids to embrace everyone and be strong and be brave, and be loving and be giving,” she says. “I think my kids are going to be awesome. I think everyone’s going to love my kids. They’re going to be funny… They’re going to be good [and] extremely well-mannered.”
Other celebrities who gave birth to children late in life include Janet Jackson (50), Mariah Carey (42), Halle Berry (46), Celine Dion (42), Salma Hayek (41), and Kelly Rowland (40).