Natalija Bajlo, Author

Natalija Bajlo, eight-year-old author of King Burue Changes the Rules, is an extraordinary young lady who is very observant of the world around her. It is with an open heart that she adamantly delivers her message based on how she was taught to treat others. When Natalija is faced with issues at school where kids seem to act quickly to ridicule others, she does the opposite and speaks out on behalf of the one being challenged. The true beauty in her refusal to see the differences in people lends itself to seeing more of the uniqueness in them instead. 

A creatively active mind sets the stage for Natalija’s book. She writes with a purpose around which her narrative skillfully evolves. She will tell you that other “morals” arise as the story unravels, such as the idea of being able to love who you love regardless of what “rules” may try to condemn your union. That’s why you should never disguise your own beauty just to fit in nor should you fear or hate what is different just because you were told to do so, Natalija says. Instinct compels her to voice her opinions, which is what she displays through King Burue’s need to change a rule that was made for no apparent reason at all. “You don’t know how to hate unless somebody teaches you to hate” is what she says about obstacles of diversity. Inspired by the great messages of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Natalija especially takes to heart his famous quote, “...they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character,” and uses the word “color” in her story to represent all perceived differences between the characters. 

We are most thankful for the amazing teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Natalija has been fortunate to have had the very best mentors teaching her how to write and encouraging her talent for storytelling. She is already working on her next fable with hope that her words will be not only enjoyable but will help children put an end to prejudice on many levels maybe just by learning to be kinder to one another.