Look up the word “prolific” and there has to be a photo of a bright-smiling, Texas-dwelling diva named Angela Shelf-Medearis!

Born in Virginia, Medearis called various places home at various times in her childhood, thanks to life with a father who was a recruiter for the Air Force. She settled in Austin, Texas at age 18 with her husband, Michael, and has lived there ever since.

Medearis has published scores of award-winning books for children throughout her career, including numerous picture books and leveled readers.  Not only is she a kidlit diva, but she’s The Kitchen Diva, too…whose business portfolio contains cookbooks, a public television show, a radio show, and other entrepreneurial endeavors produced under the umbrella of Diva Productions.

Inspired yet? Me too!

On day 23, The Brown Bookshelf welcomes Vanguard Picture Book Honoree, Mrs. Angela Shelf-Medearis!

The Journey

My career as an author began the day I was fired from my job as a legal secretary.  I was upset, at first, but then I realized that the severance package covered our expenses for 3 months!  For the first time in years I was free to really think about what I wanted to do.  I decided to try my hand at writing.  I went to the library and checked out every book they had about book publishing.  After four long years, hundreds of painful rejection letters, and numerous unpublished manuscripts, I wasn’t having any success with New York publishers.  I stopped by a small, regional publisher in my hometown, Austin, Texas.   They were interested in two of my books, and published 1,000 copies (500 hardback, 500 paper) of my first book PICKING PEAS FOR A PENNY, a rhyming story about my mother, Uncle John and my grandparents who owned a farm during the Great Depression.

My husband, Michael, worked full-time and part-time to support my dreams and assisted me on my road trips to school districts around Texas to promote my book.  He refers to those years as “Driving Ms. Angela.”   I created and presented fun programs for elementary through college student that explored the history of African storytelling up to modern publishing.  I had plenty of visual items, and told and acted out folktales.  Those appearances helped me to  hone my skills as a storyteller.  I was named one of the “Best Storytellers in the World” by Storytelling World Magazine. We sold more than 10,000 copies of PICKING PEAS FOR A PENNY at schools, autograph-signings, and book conferences.  I submitted the book to Scholastic (again) and this time, they decided to publish it.  Since that time, I’ve published more than 30 books with Scholastic and 60 with other major publishers.

Texas Monthly Magazine called me  “one of the most influential writers of children’s literature in Texas.”  My book, Chester’s CASA, was published by Scholastic, Inc. for distribution to children in the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program for children in foster care.  I also wrote the award-winning story, Daisy And The Doll, and several other books about African-American arts and Texas history with my husband, Michael Medearis.

My books have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, and are featured on a line of animated DVDs–The Storyteller Series: Many Books, Many Languages Bilingual DVDs  that I produced and narrated, as well ANGELA’S NOTEBOOK, an educational DVD series about writing, reading, authors, and illustrators.  My works are found in schools, libraries and bookstores around the United States, and have been translated into Spanish, French, Dutch, and Japanese.

I’ve also worked as a reading consultant for the Scholastic, Inc. and McGraw-Hill Literacy Programs.  I assisted the companies with the development of their reading series for elementary school children.  I’ve also written several articles for Scholastic’s READ AND RISE and GO! HEALTHY KIDS magazines.

In 2004, I made a radical life and career change.  I wrote about my experiences in my spiritual memoir that I wrote with my Pastor, Salem Robinson, Jr. entitled Ten Ingredients for a Joyous Life and a Peaceful Home. Today, I’m known as THE KITCHEN DIVA!  I’m the author of seven cookbooks: The African-American Kitchen, The Kwanzaa Celebration, Ideas For Entertaining From The African-American Kitchen, The Ethnic Vegetarian. The New African-American Cookbook, The Kitchen Diva Cooks!, and my newest work, The Kitchen Diva’s Diabetic Cookbook.  I’m also the President of Diva Productions, Inc.,  We’re in development with WGBH to produce THE KITCHEN DIVA!  television cooking show for PBS stations nationwide.

The Inspiration

I’ve been so fortunate to not only be inspired and encouraged by many talented children’s book writers and illustrators, I’ve also had the chance to meet and work with them.

During those long, lean, discouraging years when I was trying to learn the craft, get my work published, and collecting thousands of rejections,  I loved going to the library and checking out books by Eloise Greenfield, Walter Dean Myers, Julius Lester and Lucille Clifton.  After I became a published author, I had the opportunity to meet and work with numerous talented African-American authors and illustrators.  Their love and support kept me going through the tough times.

The students, teachers and adults I’ve met during my travels around the world to share my work have also been inspiring.  I often receive requests for particular kinds of books or hear great stories that I transform into a fictional work. Their enthusiasm for my work and the letters I’ve received are heart-warming and inspiring.

Last, but certainly not least, my wonderful husband, daughter and son-in-law, grand-daughter, parents, siblings and my church family have been my support, sources of inspiration, and cheering section throughout my life and my career.

I’ve been so blessed to do what I love, with people I love, and to meet so many wonderful folks over the years.  I’ve enjoyed the opportunity that I’ve had to be an example of how you can fulfill your dreams if you keep the faith and don’t give up!

Upcoming Projects

I’ve been working for the last 7 years as a culinary historian, cookbook author, and food columnist for newspapers and magazines. I’ve also been working as a television chef and producer of cooking shows.  Recently, I’ve been talking with Scholastic about contributing to an exciting new book series.  I’m looking forward to writing for children again!

The State of the Industry

I like to read the industry magazines to see what’s being published.  It helps me to decide what’s needed in the marketplace.  As always, it seems that the same biographies about African-Americans are being published over and over.  I remember when I wanted to write about Ida B. Wells Barnett–school teacher, newspaper owner, civil rights activist (her investigations of lynching incidents are legendary), wife, mother of 4 children and fashionista.  Her face was on the postage stamp on the letter I sent to the publisher to pitch my biography idea.  They turned it down because they “had never heard of her!”  I had to fight to get the book published, but it was worth it to honor such a wonderful woman and to educate folks about her life.

I’d like to see all aspects of African-American history celebrated in children’s literature.  In the future, I’ll probably work with my publishers to publish books that celebrate the stories about our contributions to history that haven’t been told.

The Buzz (AWARDS AND HONORS)

DIVA PRODUCTIONS, INC.

SKIN DEEP AND OTHER TEENAGED REFLECTIONS: 1996 Violet Crown Awards Special Citation

HOLIDAY HOUSE, Inc.

DANCING WITH THE INDIANS: 1991 Violet Crown Special Citation
THE SINGING MAN: 1994 Violet Crown Special Citation/ALA Coretta Scott King Honor Book for Illustrations
POPPA’S NEW PANTS: 1996 Teddy Award

SCHOLASTIC, Inc.

THE GHOST OF SIFTY-SIFTY SAM:  North Carolina Children’s Book Award, 1999
SEEDS GROW: Gold Winner Oppenheim Book Award, 2000

PENGUIN, U.S.A/DUTTON,

THE PRINCESS OF THE PRESS: THE STORY OF IDA B. WELLS-BARNETT:  National Council of Social Studies Woodson Award

ALBERT WHITMAN AND COMPANY, Albert Whitman & Co.

SEVEN SPOOLS OF THREAD: winner of the Platinum Book Award-Oppenheim Toy Portfolio; featured on THE TODAY SHOW; Notable Social Studies Trade Book-2001, Children’s Book Council and National Council for the Social Studies; 2002 Children’s Book Committee Best Children’s Book of the Year; Show Me Readers Award Master list; Louisiana Young Reader’s Choice Award, Not Just for Children Anymore! 2001

BOOKS WITH MICHAEL RENE MEDEARIS

VERMONT FOLKLORE SOCIETY,Middlebury, VT.

DAISY AND THE DOLL: Winner of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Living the Dream Award, 2002

Artist-illustrator Daniel Minter comes to us hot off the heels of winning a 2013 Coretta Scott King honor for his illustrations in the book Ellen’s Broom, written by Kelly Starling Lyons.

Minter has mastered both fine and commercial art. He creates his art using canvas, wood, metal, paper . . . the list goes on . . . twine, rock, sand, paint. Computer art too. An extraordinary talent he is, not many artists are as versatile.

The creator of the 2004 and 2011 Kwanzaa stamp for the U.S. Postal Service, Minter employs a bold and colorful pallet. His art has been exhibited both nationally and internationally at galleries and museums including the Seattle Art Museum, the Tacoma Art Museum, Bates College, Hammonds House Museum and the Meridian International Center.

Minter is not a newcomer to the field of children’s literature. His first book, The Footwarmer and the Crow, written by Evelyn Coleman, published in 1994 to critical acclaim. He is also the illustrator of Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story, by Angela Shelf Medearis, which is illustrated in his distinctive lino-cut technique.

By Daniel Minter, artist-illustrator

The Journey

In 1993 as I was making an effort to infuse more of a statement with my work by combining my personal art sensibilities with my commercial illustration work wherever possible, I received a call from Harold Underdown at Macmillan Publishing requesting to see some samples of my artwork that included people and children. Apparently the author, Evelyn Coleman, had seen some of my paintings in Atlanta and thought that they would make a perfect match with her story, “The Footwarmer and the Crow”, and convinced Harold to consider me (an unknown artist) as the illustrator for her book. Normally, the choice of the illustrator is reserved for the editor while the author has little or no involvement. Many people are surprised at this and feel that of course, the author should pick the illustrator and tell them how to draw the characters, but there is very little reason for an editor to do this.

My thanks goes to Harold and Evelyn for seeing what they were looking for in my work and stepping outside of the prescribed methods of finding an artist.

The whole experience for me was a positive introduction to the world of picture books which is very different from the other rushed commercial illustration that I would do. The 9 month deadline I was given seemed like an eternity and the level of freedom to create was liberating. 

“The Footwarmer and the Crow” was an excellent first story for me. It blended perfectly with the narrative nature of the carved and painted wood art that had been working with for a few years. I used flat wood panels to carve in relief and paint each illustration for the book in the same manner that I was creating my fine art. I was able to tell the story in an expressive style and use a central character who looked like us.

The Inspiration

The work of Leo and Diane Dillion was perhaps the first children’s book illustrations that made me think seriously about perhaps applying my own art to a children’s story. Their work seemed to emanate from a fantastical futuristic ancient place that allowed them to tell stories with their art that was always optimistically forward looking. I looked to their work to for inspiration to develop my narrative craft and technique as an illustrator. I was drawn to the beauty, the research and care with which they illustrated all people of color. Their way of working was something to aspire to.

As a model of how to live and be in the world, I find Ashley Bryan hugely inspiring. He has found a way to pour his heart into everything he does. The most assessable way of experiencing him is through the art of his children’s books but his storytelling and human interactions express the total of what he is. He lives his art and shares his life with the world.

The Back Story

Over the years the broom has been used as an element in my art. Not only for its use as a ritual object in the African American wedding tradition, but also as an object of power for its representation of cleansing, change and new beginnings in general.

When an editor from Penguin book, Stacey Barney, contacted me about illustrating Kelly Staring Lyon’s story, “Ellen’s Broom”, I do not think she knew of my love for brooms. Just hearing the title my head began to spin with hundreds of ideas for using brooms. I was overly excited.

After I calmed down and actually read Kelly’s manuscript, I could see that it was a quietly powerful story about emancipation and the right to marry. Those ideas of the right to marry are very relevant today but I decided to focus on Ellen using a style of illustration to fit the time and feel of the story, seeing that those were very important aspects just as much as the broom. With the help and guidance of the art director we narrowed the approach to the block print work instead of a more painterly style.

The Buzz

Publisher’s Weekly says: “The narrative has a loving, homespun tone, though the story’s emotions feel subdued. Minter’s (The First Marathon) vibrant linoleum block prints—which use springtime colors for the present day and sepia tones for flashbacks to the time of slavery—give the book more of an emotional charge.”

Kirkus says: “Minter uses hand-painted linoleum block prints for a bright, sunny and upbeat accompaniment. Scenes of slave times are colored in sepia to set them apart. A spirited story filled with the warmth of a close family celebrating a marriage before God and the law.”

Daniel Minter’s beautiful art for the book Ellen’s Broom

– Don Tate

Honestly, today’s honoree needs no introduction. We’re already fans of the beloved Ashley Bryan, aren’t we? Known for his extraordinary range and depth of talent, Bryan uses paint, poetry, music, and collage to tell his popular stories.

Born in Harlem, New York, and raised in the Bronx, Bryan describes his childhood as “an idyllic time, full of art and music.” Times that provided a solid foundation for a long and successful career in the arts.

As a child Bryan spent his days working hard and drawing pictures, and he finished high school at the age of sixteen. But getting accepted into an art institution would not prove so easy. He was was rejected on the basis of race. On the advice of his teachers, he applied to New York’s prestigious Cooper Union Art School who administered a blind art test for admission into the school. “You put your work in a tray, sculpture, drawing, painting, and it was judged.” Bryan says. “They never saw you. If you met the requirements, tuition was free, . . .” Bryan passed the test with flying colors.

After serving his country in World War II, and continuing his education at Columbia University, Bryan set his eyes on the prize of becoming a children’s book illustrator. For years he worked passionately to achieve that goal, and he faced many obstacles and rejections. His perseverance paid off in 1962 when he became the first African American children’s book author and illustrator to be published. “I never gave up.” Bryan says. “Many were more gifted than I but they gave up. They dropped out. What they faced out there in the world–they gave up.”

Ashley Bryan has gone on to win many awards for his books — often culled from African folk tales — including nine Coretta Scott King awards and honors, a Golden Kite Award, Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, others.

The following is Ashley Bryan in his own words:

The Journey

I grew up in the Bronx, New York.  As we learned the alphabet, my teacher asked us to draw a picture for each letter.  After Z, we sewed the pages together.  The teacher said: “You have just published an Alphabet Book.  You are the author, illustrator, binder.  Take it home, you are the distributor as well.”  I got rave reviews from family and friends for that book.  All of the ones that followed are built on that foundation.

The Inspiration

I am inspired by my studies in the history of art and by the folk art of all cultures.

The Backstory

I am grateful that I do not have to work deals.

The Buzz

My new book, WHO BUILT THE STABLE, Atheneum, 2012 came out to starred reviews.

Kirkus says: ”Bryan’s Christmas offering combines a poignant poem about a shepherd boy who builds his own stable with exuberant paintings in a masterful melding of rhythmic text and dazzling art.”

Publisher’s Weekly says: ”Bryan wields tempera and acrylic in strong strokes to evoke Bethlehem, (“A rich and verdant land”) with saturated shades of primary and secondary colors, lively expressions on human and animal faces, and sweeping lines to create the impression of movement. ”

The state of the industry

The United States means people from all over the world. Representation of these diverse cultures in books for young people allows readers to identify and understand the peoples of the world.

–Don Tate

The Children’s Book Council once identified James E. Ransome as “one of the 75 authors and illustrators everyone should know”…and we agree.

The Coretta Scott King Illustration Award winner and oft co-collaborator with wife, Lesa Cline-Ransome, is known for creating stunning art for popular picture books such as Uncle Jed’s Barbershop (Simon & Schuster), Visiting Day (Scholastic), and Words Set Me Free: The Story of a Young Frederick Douglass (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books). His most recent illustration project–another Team Ransome creation–is Light in the Darkness (Hyperion).

However, on Day 19, it is James Ransome the author whose work we seek to illuminate. And so, in his own words:

The Journey 

My journey of illustrating books is well documented in my bio which can be found on my website: www.jamesransome.com.  My journey as a writer started as a young child.  In fact, writing is what led me to drawing, because I started by writing stories which soon led to comic books.  The stories were about my friends and I going out on missions to save the world during World War II.  The movie The Dirty Dozen and comic books like Sergeant Rock were big influences on me. At some point, I realized I enjoyed making pictures more than writing stories.

Much later in my life, my wife Lesa encouraged me to write picture books; so I owe her all the thanks.  I took very slow steps. My first entrance into the writing world was to edit a book about Christmas (A Joyful Christmas), for which I selected stories and poems submitted by friends.  The first book I both authored and illustrated covered one of my favorite topics: football.  The idea for this book came about while I was doing school visits. I’d often get into conversations with the students about their favorite football teams, which led to the topic of winning and losing and my  being surprised at how important winning was to the kids I was talking with.  That led to a story called Gunner, A Football Hero.

The Inspiration

Again, the visual artists who inspire me are well documented.  As far as inspirations from writers, I’d have to say, my wife Lesa Cline-Ransome .  Other writers that inspire me are Chris Van Allsburg whose writing is mysterious and has a surreal quality.  Julius Lester and Virginia Hamilton are two favorites and of course, I’d also have to include Toni Morrison.  One of my favorite passages is “not Doctor Street” from her book Song of Solomon.  She is a master at playing with language and that is what attracts me to all these writers.

The Back Story

The inspiration for My Teacher came from a teacher I met years ago who was from the Boca Raton, Florida area. She described her school as one hard hit by the fiscal challenges faced by many schools–but filled with caring, dedicated teachers who, despite setbacks, sought to enrich and inspire their students.

The Buzz

My Teacher has been reviewed in Kirkus and received a Library Media Connections Starred Review, included below.

“Ransome has written a thoughtful, heartwarming story celebrating teachers and the teaching profession. An interesting sidelight is the mention of school libraries. The author has written a gentle, pleasing story about a teacher who truly loves her profession. This teacher knows a good teachable moment, is flexible, consoling, and consistently searches different teaching methods. When the classroom children have to write and illustrate a report on a famous person, Ransome emphasizes the research aspect, using computers, and the library. A refrain that consistently appears throughout the story aptly describes the teacher: “Maybe that’s why she keeps teaching.” The writing style is pleasing and readable. Illustrations are full-page full-color spreads, softly complimenting the text. This is a good selection for teachers and good for school librarians!” Dennis LeLoup, School Librarian, Avon Intermediate East and Intermediate West Schools, Avon, Indiana

Highly Recommended

New Ventures:

The most exciting thing I’m currently doing is YouTube videos.  My daughter is majoring in film-making at Syracuse University.  When I was her age, becoming a film-maker was also my dream.  Because I had to buy a camera for her, I also bought one for myself and made some videos which she is editing for me.  Here is a link to my first one on painting with watercolor: James Ransome Watercolor Video. I have a new one coming out by February 1st where I discuss how to develop a drawing.

For more information on James Ransome, please visit his website here.

Arna Wendell Bontemps was an award winning author born in 1902 in Alexandria, Louisiana. When he was four, his family moved to southern California. He loved books and read everything even if his minister father didn’t approve. Entering and winning a poetry contest after graduating from Pacific Union College in 1923, inspired him to move to New York. New York was in the midst of the Harlem Renaissance and Arna felt a connection with the writers, artists, and musicians who were making their presence known. One of those writers was Langston Hughes. Arna and Langston became lifelong friends and literary collaborators. Langston described Arna as:

“one of America’s simplest yet most eloquent writers dealing in historical materials, as his historical novels and his “The Story of the Negro” prove. His prose is…readable, …yet rich in poetic overtones and the magic of word music…. I have known Arna Bontemps for more than twenty years and have collaborated with him on children’s books, plays, and the editorship of a recent anthology, The Poetry of the Negro. I know him to be a very thorough and conscientious worker, methodical, giving a certain number of hours every day to his writing, and a fine literary craftsman. His factual prose is not dry, but full of warmth and poetry. And he has both tolerance and humor.”

Vanguard Middle Grade Author Arna Bontemps’ books were filled with the “magic of word music”. He won many awards including a Newbery Honor for The Story of the Negro in 1949. It also won the Jane Addams Children’s Book award.

Arna married in 1926 and had six children. Undoubtedly, they served as inspiration for his many children’s books. He continued to write books, poetry, and edit anthologies throughout his life. He also worked at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. Then he became Head Librarian at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. He also taught creative writing classes.

In 1966, Arna left for the University of Illinois to teach American Literature. But a stroke forced him to return to Nashville. After he regained his health, he taught at Yale University for two years. He became Writer-In-Residence at Fisk in 1971 and began an autobiographic research project. Sadly, he never wrote it before his death of a heart attack in 1973.

Arna and Langston Hughes were literary collaborators as well as close friends. One  collaboration was Boy of the Border, a coming of age story about a young boy’s horse-drive journey from Mexico to Los Angeles. The adventure story, filled with compassion and curiosity about life is just as relevant today as it was when first published.

Arna wrote Bubba Goes to Heaven in the 1930s, but it wasn’t published until after his death.

Of Lonesome Boy Arna wrote to his friend Langston, “This is the book I enjoyed writing, perhaps because I did it impulsively for myself, while editors hounded me for my misdeeds and threatened me if I did not deliver manuscripts I contracted for. So I closed the door for two days and had myself a time.” Upon publication Langston replied, “It is a perfectly charming and unusual book.”

During his teaching and writing carrer, Arna recieved Carnegie and Guggenheim research grants and a brilliant list of awards. More impressive than that, in each of his literary works, Arna Bontemps has left us with  ”the magic of word music”.

More Literary Awards

• Alexander Pushkin Poetry Prize, Opportunity: Journal of Negro Life, 1926, for “Golgotha Is a Mountain”
• Alexander Pushkin Poetry Prize, Opportunity: Journal of Negro Life, 1927, for “The Return”
• First Prize, Poetry, The Crisis, 1927, for “Nocturne at Bethesda”
• First Prize, Fiction, Opportunity: Journal of Negro Life, 1933, for “A Summer Tragedy”
• Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and Jane Addams Peace Association, 1956, for The Story of the Negro, 1955 edition

Samples of Arna’s poetry are available on his Facebook page.

Watch this You Tube video to learn more about Arna Bontemps and his role in the Harlem Renaissance.

His Birthplace home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a museum. 

Kirkland C. Westport wrote his biography, Renaissance Man From Llouisiana: A Biography of Arna Wendell Bontemps (Greenwood Press, 1992).

Tololwa M. Mollel describes on his website the first time he had a new book to call his own. He stared at it. He smelled the pages. He cherished the words that transported him into different lives and worlds.”When I finally began school and to enjoy access to books, like a parched throat thirsts for water, I couldn’t get enough,” he wrote.

Reading and two special mentors – his paternal grandfather and uncle – put him on the path to writing and storytelling. Today, he’s an award-winning author of more than 16 children’s books including Coretta Scott King Honor book My Rows and Piles of Coins, illustrated by E.B. Lewis, and Parents’ Choice honoree The Orphan Boy, illustrated by Paul Morin. Mollel’s stories have won praise for drawing on his African heritage, exploring family and folklore and focusing on universal themes.

Along with being an author, Mollel is a dramatist and performer. His stories beg to be read aloud. Some even have songs. Mollel, who lives in Canada, enjoys sharing his work at schools and libraries: “I aim to provide a feast of words –written and spoken – for the eye, the ear and the mind; as well as for the creative imagination, and for performance.”

The idea of “feasting” on words came from the culture of his Massai-speaking grandfather who filled Tanzania-born Mollel with appreciation for the spoken word. He celebrates that spirit everywhere he goes. His books and performances captivate young readers and take them to magical places. He hopes through his work to share “the gift of story” that was given to him.

The Buzz:

My Rows and Piles of Coins

“A warm family story set in Tanzania in the 1960s . . . The
first-person story contains several universal childhood experiences: the pride
in persevering and gaining a new skill and in making an unselfish contribution
to the family. Since the narrative focus is on the boy’s own goals, the story is
natural and never excessively moralistic. The fluid, light-splashed watercolor
illustrations lend a sense of place and authenticity. Watching Saruni’s savings
mount visually is a nice touch. A short glossary gives the meaning and
pronunciation of frequently used words. Deft and effective.”

– School Library Journal

Big Boy

“Buoyed by exceptional illustrations, Mollel (The Flying Tortoise) spins a tale of universal appeal from a scrap of Tanzanian folklore . . . Mollel’s story is an engaging fantasy for little ones with big aspirations, but it is Lewis’s (Fire on the Mountain) crisp, understated watercolors that steal the show. His pleasing compositions, with their surprising perspectives, incorporate details particular to the Tanzanian setting even as they evoke a sense of boundless space.”

– Publishers Weekly

Rhinos for Lunch and Elephants for Supper!

” . . . Mollel, whose retelling of another story from his Maasai heritage, The Orphan Boy, is a Notable Children’s Book for 1992, tells this amusing cumulative tale with a verve that especially recommends it for oral sharing; Spurll sets her wonderfully expressive animal characters in a carefully composed jungle attractively bordered with a lively geometric design, adding such delightful touches as a bespectacled leopard reading to her wide-eyed cubs. Delightful.”

– Kirkus

Find out more about Tololwa M. Mollel here.

Lyah B. LeFlore is the author of the young adult novels, The World Is Mine and Can’t Hold Me Down in the Come Up series. Both are published by Simon & Schuster. In a video interview on Simon & Schuster’s website, Lyah said the Come Up books are about a group of multi-ethnic kids “taking their dreams to the next level by any means necessary”. Her inspiration was her big sisters going to New York to “go for their dreams”.

Booklist says of The World Is Mine, “The Come Up series has nailed a strong opener.”

Read the complete review at Booklist Review

To find out more about Lyah including a video interview, visit her Simon & Schuster author page.

Ann Tanksley is the illustrator of My Heart Will Not Sit Down (Knoff, 2012), written by Mara Rockliff. Ann is a fine artist who graduated from the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University). She is the illustrator of the picture book The Six Fools by Zora Neale Hurston, and the creator of a series of monoprints based on the writings of Hurston titled, “Images of Zora,” which Maya Angelou described as “dazzling.” She lives in Great Neck, New York.

Buzz

Tanksley’s lush, vibrantly colored paintings, . . .  take seemingly simple images and render them big, beautiful and bold.
– Kirkus

Tanksley’s pared-down, childlike pictures provide a sketch of Cameroon village life, their electric hues of orange, magenta, and scarlet jumping from the pages.
–Publisher’s Weekly

– Don Tate

My path to becoming a published author begins in a most improbable way.  I’d just finished doing a storytelling series for a book company out of Illinois.  They decided to break out a few of the stories and turn them into wordless picture books.  They sent me out to California to perform some of the tales and as I left the stage a woman walked up to me and asked if I would be interested in writing a book.  Being young and foolish, I decided to do an anthology.  It took twelve years from conception to publication.  A Pride of African Tales (HarperCollins), illustrated by James Ransome,  was the first book I wrote, but the second one to be released!

The Inspiration

I have always loved children’s books.  My first love in book form was What Mary Jo Shared by Janice May Udry.  I suspect it was because it was the only book I had where the characters looked like me.  Seeing African American people doing normal things in a book made me very happy.  My second love was Tikki Tikki Tembo.  I loved the wordplay and the repetition.  I can’t say that I remember the illustrations all that much.  My favorite works are often stories that play with language and create amazing images whether you look at the pictures on the page or not.  Eric Carle, Maurice Sendak, Shel Silverstein, Leo and Diane Dillon, Gwendolyn Brooks, Maya Angelou, and Madeline L’Engle are a few of my favorties. 

The Back Story

My most recent book is called Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa (HarperCollins), illustrated by Shane W. Evans.   I wanted to write a book that happens at Kwanzaa time but is not about Kwanazaa.  There are not very many Kwanzaa books that are just for fun; most of them explain how the festival is celebrated. The book was received well and there were lots of reviews from websites that promote books for children. 

Here are a few of my favorites:

“When you celebrate something you aren’t too little, you can make a difference like Little Rabbit. He ended up making a big surprise for his grandma. When he told all the friends, they joined in to make it a great Kwanzaa fest.”

– Review from a child named Grayce, Reader Reviews For Readers By Readers

“I wanted to read this book with my daughter to educate both of us on the celebration of Kwanzaa. She had learned about the holiday in school and I wanted to understand and reinforce global celebrations that are unique from our customary approach. Through the story of Little Rabbit, who wants to make Kwanzaa special for his sick Granna rabbit, we learn the 7 principles of Kwanzaa – the Nguzo Saba – which are timeless and universal themes of humanity.  “Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa” is a beautiful book, great story – sure to be a classic.”

– Review from Grayce’s parents, Reader Reviews For Readers By Readers

Here is another review that is typical of the reception the book enjoyed:

Momsword.org Review:

“I happen to see this book at my local bookstore when I was looking around for books for my 3.5 year old. I picked it up and read it and first thing that came to my mind was “what a cute story!” This book is great for kids . . . the illustrations grab the kids’ attention as well as the wording of the book.

This is a book for people who celebrate Kwanzaa and for people who want to teach about Kwanzaa to children of ages 3-8 (although according to Amazon.com, the age group for this book is 4-8). I did show this to my 3.5 year old and after I read it to her, she said, “I want this book, Mommy! I love it!”

So this book is mother-tested and kid-approved :).

FYI: At the end of the book, the seven principles of Kwanzaa are listed. So this is a must-have in your Kwanzaa or holiday book collection!

The Next Chapter

My upcoming book is called Boo Stew and will be published by Peach Tree Press in Georgia. The story originateed during a roundtable storytelling game I play with my children. It is a play on Goldilocks. We are still in the illustrator stage, and I hope that it will be out in a couple of years. The heroine of the book is a young girl named Curly Locks who is a horrible cook. Despite her other fine characteristics, it is this lack of skill in the kitchen that ends up winning the day.

The State of the Industry

The industry is changing.  There are fewer companies producing fewer books.  Cartoon characters and serials are the best selling books and many books cross over to the cartoon network.  As companies compete with electronic media and video, more and more people claim that the print book is moving towards its end.  As for me, I don’t think books will ever die, but we most certainly may reach a point where we no longer indulge in paper books.   I personally will be sad if that happens, and I hope it won’t ever.  How that will affect authors and illustrators, I don’t know, but I will be there, right in the middle of it, writing.

The Buzz

Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa

“Being the youngest in the family is hard for Li’l Rabbit at Kwanzaa. Unlike his
siblings, he can’t create elaborate gifts to share. He does find a way to
contribute to the celebration, though. Granna is too sick to cook the big feast,
Karamu, that she usually prepares. Li’l Rabbit remembers Granna saying that
Kwanzaa is a special time for helping others, and he tells the family’s animal
friends that she is ill. In a warm surprise, the animals come together with food
and gifts to celebrate with Granna. From bespectacled Poppa Squirrel reading in
a tree and carpenter Groundhog with his tool belt to Momma Field Mouse pulling
her children in a wagon, the characters in Evans’ very bright, playful, textured
pictures capture the spirit of community that is the essence of the holiday . . . “

– Booklist

A Pride of African Tales

“Like a group of lions, these six stories are majestic. “Anansi’s Fishing
Expedition” (Ghana), “The Roof of Leaves” (the Congo), “The Wedding Basket”
(Nigeria), and “The Talking Skull” (Cameroon) are among the tales included. Each
one begins with a short note of explanation and is identified as a
pourquoi, trickster, or cautionary tale. A map of Africa pinpoints the
countries of origin and brief source notes are appended. The morals are not
lost, but the writing is not heavy-handed. The smooth retellings are paired with
extraordinarily lush watercolors . . . These selections can be
read alone but they beg to be shared aloud. The phrasing and cadences invite
pauses and should encourage successful retelling–good for librarians and those
who coach children in storytelling contests. A handsome package.”

– School Library Journal

Find out more about Donna Washington at http://donnawashington.com/index.html.