Day 11: Charnaie Gordon

You may have seen the countless cover reveals she has hosted. Or read her inspiring posts celebrating BIPOC children’s book creators. Or maybe you heard her fun and engaging interviews that make authors and illustrators feel like friends.  A dedicated advocate for diverse children’s books, influencer Charnaie Gordon champions reading through her popular blog, Here [ Read the full article… ]

PRESS RELEASE: The United State of The BrownBook Shelf

Amplification and Advocacy Group To Galvanize Black Kid Lit (August 24, 2020) – The Brown Bookshelf is calling on the children’s literature community to assess and change traditional practices that marginalize the work of Black children’s literature creatives.  The organization has amplified the voices of nearly 400 children’s book authors and illustrators since its inception [ Read the full article… ]

Throwback: London Ladd

We last highlighted London Ladd during our 2009 28 Days Later campaign. Since that time, Ladd went on to illustrate many more award-winning picture books including Under the Freedom Tree, written by Susan VanHecke, Lend a Hand: Poems About Giving, written by John Frank, and Frederick’s Journey: The Life of Frederick Douglass, written by Doreen Rappaport. [ Read the full article… ]

Guest Post: Don’t Stop Believing

At this time of year, people search for inspiring holiday books to share with children. Finding one that celebrates the beauty of the season and showcases our world’s diversity is a treasure. We are proud to feature a stunning addition to this collection. Award-winning author, scholar and activist Zetta Elliott’s new picture book, Let the Faithful Come, is a lyrical nativity story with [ Read the full article… ]

Day 12: Torrey Maldonado

Coe Booth called Torrey Maldonado’s debut novel, Secret Saturdays (G.P. Putnam’s Sons), “a story you won’t forget.” E.R. Frank said it “ought to be required reading at middle schools everywhere.” Rita Williams-Garcia said it’s “playground tough with a sweet center.” Intrigued? Well, here’s more. Maldonado, a veteran New York City public school teacher, says writing helped save him as [ Read the full article… ]

London Ladd

Every now and then, a new artist sneaks onto the children’s literary stage and dazzles us with such unbridled talent, that we’re left standing on our tippy-toes begging for an encore. Last year, one of those artists was London Ladd. Ladd made his debut illustrating the book March On!, written by the sister of Dr. [ Read the full article… ]