Looking for new releases by Black children’s book creators? Black Children’s Books & Authors (BCBA) has you covered. Each month, they share a list of books that have debuted. BCBA has become a go-to source for keeping in the know. The many ways BCBA supports Black authors and illustrators include hosting cover reveals, providing an [ Read the full article… ]
Category: General
Making Our Own Market: Tonya Duncan Ellis
We are delighted to welcome Tonya Duncan Ellis to The Brown Bookshelf. Author of the independently-published Sophie Washington chapter book series, she has worked hard to build her audience and stand out in the market. Grit, consistency and innovation are just a few of the qualities she brings to promoting her work. Here, she shares [ Read the full article… ]
Making Our Own Market: Troy Johnson On Partnerships & Indie Booksellers
Happy Children’s Book Week! Today, we’re reviving our occasional series, Making Our Own Market. All week, we’ll showcase guest posts by children’s book bloggers, independently-published authors and more with inspiring testimonies and tips to raise awareness of work by Black children’s book creators. Our series will explore questions like these: How can we do a [ Read the full article… ]
Mother’s Day Reads
Mother’s Day is around the corner. It’s a great time to share picture books by Black children’s book creators that celebrate moms, grandmas, mother figures and family bonds. Here’s a list to get you started. Click each cover to learn more. Please share your favorite books saluting moms in the comments. Mommy’s Khimar by Jamilah [ Read the full article… ]
Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie on “Layla’s Happiness”
Last year, I had the pleasure of serving on the jury for the Ezra Jack Keats Book Awards. Throughout the year, hundreds of books sent by publishers, piled on my doorsteps. Sometimes, I’d let the books build up in my studio and then take an afternoon just to savor new voices. Other times, I’d tear [ Read the full article… ]
Standing Strong Together
“As people of color, we can turn what the dominant culture deems our weaknesses into sources of strength for our art. We know different kinds of fear than they do, which gives us a different understanding of true courage. Write that. We’ve been hated on more than they have, so we have a different understanding [ Read the full article… ]
Brave. Black. First: Guest Post by Cheryl Willis Hudson
Co-founder of Just Us Books, Diversity Jedi, artist, quilter and award-winning author, Cheryl Willis Hudson brings intention, meaning and magic to everything she touches. Her latest book, Brave. Black. First.: 50+ African American Women Who Changed the World (Crown, 2020), is her latest outstanding project. Beautifully illustrated by Erin K. Robinson and published in collaboration [ Read the full article… ]
Read Alouds, Lessons and Plans…Oh My
Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash The artistic community has really stepped up to help keep folks engaged, entertained and informed during the Covid-19 outbreak. There are author read-alouds, writing and illustrating exercises,live dance classes and free concerts everywhere I turn. It makes me proud to be a member of this community, who sprung into action even [ Read the full article… ]