Ada Twist has her own show on Netflix, is acquainted with the Obamas, and inspired a 51-foot high balloon of her likeness during New York City’s Macy’s Day parade.

If you haven’t heard of Ada Twist, she’s the brainchild of children’s author Andrea Beaty from her 2016 book “Ada Twist, Scientist,” and the new Netflix series comes from the Obama’s production company Higher Ground and Chris Nee, who created Disney’s hit cartoon “Doc McStuffins.”

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“When the Obamas came on, I’m not going to lie, there was some dancing around the kitchen,” said Beaty about receiving a phone call that the former first couple had signed on as producers. “I was like, ‘Wait, is my earpiece working?’ It was very exciting. All the things I’ve seen them create in the TV realm have been smart and thoughtful and with a bigger purpose of helping people understand things. They’re all about empowering kids and tapping into that next generation, and that’s my jam, too.”

That Beaty’s most famous character is a scientist makes sense. The author was a computer scientist before becoming a mother and a New York Times-best-selling children’s author.

“People might think, ‘Oh, she’s that lady who writes STEM books for girls,’” Beaty said. “But you just can’t have enough of those books.”

While Ada Twist is perhaps the most famous in a crew dubbed The Questioneers, Beaty’s book series is devoted to a diverse cast of relatable characters. Beaty’s books are written with a masterful poetic rhyme this is accompanied by illustrator David Robert’s intricate and inviting drawings. In each book, a character grapples with a central issue, whether it be shyness, dyslexia, or a burning curiosity, and explores ways to overcome, persevere or figure out the world around them.

“I’m getting lots and lots of letters from kids who struggle with reading. One of the things that is at the heart of why the books work and why they connect, is not just physical attributes that the kids have, but it’s because the books at their core are exploring fundamental things,” she said. “Passion and perseverance. Curiosity. Bravery. Hope, beauty and struggle. All of those things kids experience.

“Every kid on this planet is curious. One of the beautiful things about when kids read this book,” she said. “They don’t say, ‘I want to be a scientist.’ They say, ‘I am a scientist. I am an engineer. I am an architect.’ That may sound like a tiny distinction but it’s massive. Because it means they really see themselves as those characters, which is the power of a book.”

Beaty’s most recent Questioneer character appears in “Aaron Slater, Illustrator,” a second-grade boy who is dyslexic and learning to read. Published last month, the character is an artist who, along with his two mothers, lives in a home with a lavish garden. He draws stories on the slate walkway outside their home.

“I’m also trying to explore things in my own world that I’m curious about or that I just need to understand, like being brave. For instance, like Aaron Slater, which I wrote during the pandemic, one of the things that helped me get through the pandemic is gardening. I’ve always been a gardener but I went deep into gardening. So gardening is an element in Aaron Slater. But also beauty. The power of beauty and art. I’m exploring things that are interesting to me while at the same time exploring a topic.”

All the characters originate from an illustration David Roberts drew for the first book in the series, “Iggy Peck, Architect,” published in 2007. Beaty has since spent hours staring at the drawing, looking at the children’s faces for clues about each of their personalities: Are they shy? Talkative? Can they get enough of their questions answered?

“They’re all very different,” she said. “They come to me, and they are fully formed people.”

Readers, too, feel as if they know the characters, according to some local experts.

“Ada Twist was popular right from the start,” said Carrie Custer, head of the children’s department at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena. “She’s a strong female protagonist, and we sell a lot of all of them.”

Mara Alpert, a librarian for the children’s literature department at the Los Angeles Public Library, said that Beaty’s books tap into some of the things that readers are looking for.

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“It is always a joy to read a story where someone like you is having an adventure, solving a mystery, creating something special, doing something magical,” said Mara Alpert, a librarian for the children’s literature department at the Los Angeles Public Library. “It broadens your world to be able to picture yourself in those characters’ places. Every child needs that in life.

With the popularity of Ada Twist and her crew, many readers are awaiting Beaty’s next character. But Beaty said fans will have to wait and see who will get the spotlight next. But it will likely be someone that other kids connect with.

“I think it’s vital every kid be able to see themselves in a book,” Beaty said.