Picture book guy here. I love the art of telling stories with words and pictures. And I get all excited when I find a new picture book in my mailbox, a book sent to me by publishers for mention here at the Brown Bookshelf. Thing is, I’ve been so busy with my own book projects, [ Read the full article… ]

My Brother Charlie (Scholastic Press), written by Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete, with illustrations by Shane W. Evans, is a heartwarming story of patience, love and acceptance. Young Callie and Charlie are twins with a lot in common – curly hair and brown eyes, a love for chocolate with marshmallows, music and football. [ Read the full article… ]

This post has been revised at the request of the author. His statement is below. Thank you for your support: I just wanted to take the time out to thank every single person that has supported the Ruby and the Booker Boys series since the release of the first two books two years ago. I want to [ Read the full article… ]

Lee & Low Books, an independent children’s book publisher specializing in diversity, has now acquired Tu Publishing, which was founded by Stacy Whitman in the fall of 2009. The new imprint, Tu Books, will publish multicultural Middle Grade, YA fantasy and science fiction. See the official press release here. “This is a natural fit for [ Read the full article… ]

Nearly two decades ago, 250 people braved the cold to attend the first African American Children’s Book Fair at John Wanamaker Department Store in Philadelphia. Year after year, word spread and enthusiasm for the celebration grew. Today, the book fair, held in the gymnasium of the Community College of Philadelphia, attracts thousands. In fact, not only is it one of the oldest single-day events [ Read the full article… ]

The celebration officially kicks off on Monday, February 1. But you can get a sneak peek of the campaign now. Click here to download the 28 Days Later, 2010 poster. Upon completing the layout, I felt encouraged. Sure, the number of African American children’s literature creators is small, relative to the industry as a whole. [ Read the full article… ]

Over at Color Online (this year’s recipient of 28 Days Later spotlight books) Doret has posted about Fuse 8’s call for people’s favorite Fictional Chapter books. Do go over and check out her post, as she’s saying exactly what I would for this call of action. Then, head over to Fuse 8 and submit a [ Read the full article… ]