From as far back as he can remember, Ken Daley was certain of one thing: he would live his life as an artist. As Ken explains, “Art is what I am.” Ken Daley is an award-winning Black Canadian artist/illustrator who was born to parents who emigrated from Dominica. His art and illustrations are inspired by [ Read the full article… ]
28 Days
Day 3: Cameron Roberson/Rob Cameron
Cameron Roberson, who writes under the pen name Rob Cameron, is a teacher, linguist, and writer. He has poetry, stories, and essays in Star*Line, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Foreign Policy Magazine, Tor.com, New Modality, Solarpunk Magazine, Clockwork Phoenix Five, Lightspeed, and others. Daydreamer is his debut middle grade novel. Rob is also [ Read the full article… ]
Day 2: Maisha Oso
MAISHA OSO is the author of Before the Ships: The Birth of Black Excellence, My Hair is a Book, and Buster the Bully. She writes stories to empower, entertain, and encourage emotional intelligence in young children. Her books have received multiple starred reviews, been named as best books of the year, and even been nominated for [ Read the full article… ]
Day 1: Nikki Giovanni
It only seems fitting that this year’s 28 Days Later celebration should begin by honoring the life and work of Nikki Giovanni. Her career as a poet, author, educator, public speaker, and activist spanned over five decades, and her words have inspired, influenced, and informed people around the globe. I first met Nikki Giovanni in [ Read the full article… ]
Announcing the 18th Class of 28 Days Later Honorees!
This is the 18th year of The Brown Bookshelf’s annual 28 Days Later celebration! Each year, through 28 Days Later, our Black History Month celebration of children’s book literature, we applaud and center Black authors and illustrators. For 2025, The Brown Bookshelf is working in partnership with Black Stories Amplified to bring you daily features [ Read the full article… ]
Day 29: Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson
Over the years, we’ve been blessed to have many supporters. Wade Hudson, Cheryl Willis Hudson and the Just Us Books family are among those who have been in our corner the longest. Trailblazing publishers and award-winning children’s book creators, the Hudsons are all about sharing, empowering and offering support. Their example has been a beacon [ Read the full article… ]
Day 28: Varian Johnson
Co-founder of The Brown Bookshelf with Paula Chase, Varian Johnson helped create something amazing. Tired of hearing that people couldn’t find books by Black children’s book creators, he and Paula formed a team that would shine a light on the incredible Black authors and illustrators creating great reads for babies to teens every day. What [ Read the full article… ]
Day 27: Paula Chase
Paula Chase and Varian Johnson co-founded The Brown Bookshelf. They’re the reason why we’re here. They invited us to join them in the mission to raise awareness of under-the-radar Black authors and illustrators and salute veteran ones. Look at what they created. We’ve been doing this for 17 years. Paula is brilliant, hard-working and giving. [ Read the full article… ]