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… ]
28 Days
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… ]
Day 26: Don Tate
Don Tate is an acclaimed author and the illustrator of numerous books for children. He is the illustrator of the Roto and Roy series (Little Brown, 2022, 2023), Swish! The Slam-Dunking, Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem Globetrotters (Little Brown, 2020), and Carter Reads the Newspaper (Peachtree, 2021). He is the author of Jerry Changed the Game! How [ Read the full article… ]
Day 25: Crystal Allen
The Brown Bookshelf is a family of creatives, genuinely focused on knowing other creatives of color, and making their works known. Being a committee member has strengthened my commitment to our community. It has helped me form strong relationships with other writers, illustrators, editors, and organizations that I may not have been a part of [ Read the full article… ]
Day 24: Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich is the NAACP Image Award-nominated author of several books, including: OPERATION SISTERHOOD, an IndieNext List Top Ten Pick and Black Caucus of the American Library Association Best of the Best Selection; MAKEDA MAKES A BIRTHDAY TREAT, a Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book; IT DOESN’T TAKE A GENIUS, a Kirkus Reviews [ Read the full article… ]