You can’t spell heart without art, and Dare Coulter has worked to create a career that focuses around heart-felt presentations of the human experience, life, joy, and resilience. Dare is an award-winning professional sculptor, artist, muralist, and illustrator. Her most recent notable work includes a 200ft mural (with Kotis Street Art) in Greensboro honoring oft-unmentioned [ Read the full article… ]
28 Days
Day 24: Kern Carter
Day 23: Malcolm Newsome
Malcolm Newsome is a traditionally published children’s book author and cyber security expert from the Chicago area who has a deep passion for telling stories of hope and possibilities. When he’s not writing or spending time with family, you’ll find him either reading, spending time outside in his mini-orchard, or being a lumberjack. Malcolm is [ Read the full article… ]
Day 22: Stephanie Seales
Stephanie Seales is the California-born daughter of Panamanian immigrants and the author of the Caldecott Honor and CSK Illustrator Medal-winning book My Daddy Is a Cowboy, illustrated by C.G. Esperanza (Abrams, June 2024), and the upcoming Jodie Doesn’t Love Dogs (Candlewick, Spring 2027). Stephanie is a children’s literature expert who’s worked in nearly every aspect [ Read the full article… ]
Day 21: Bea Jackson
Bea Jackson is the New York Times bestselling illustrator of Parker Looks Up and From My Head to My Toes. Bea loves telling stories through her art, from dynamic and diverse character design, to delightfully fun and energetic children’s book illustrations. She attended the College for Creative Studies and was the Grand Prize Winner of the L Ron Hubbard’s [ Read the full article… ]
Day 20: Allen Wells
Allen R. Wells is an accomplished author, engineer, and advocate for inclusion and representation in children’s literature. Born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, Allen discovered his passion for storytelling at a young age, inspired by his second-grade teacher who introduced him to journaling. This early spark fueled a lifelong journey to create impactful stories that [ Read the full article… ]
Day 19: Sonja Thomas
Sonja Thomas, a silly introvert ruled by coffee and cats, writes stories for readers of all ages often featuring Black girls doing extraordinary things. Her debut novel, Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence, is an Oregon Book Award finalist, an Oregon Spirit Book Award Honor recipient, a Washington State Book Award finalist, [ Read the full article… ]
Day 18: Shamar Knight-Justice
Shamar Knight-Justice is currently the Principal of Ethos Classical, an elementary school focused on the intersection of joy, rigor, and the humanity of its students. He has been an educator for 15 years, and is inspired daily by the stories and imaginations of his students. His artwork focuses on mixed media, and unique textures and patterns. [ Read the full article… ]