Listen to our first ever LIVE episode of the Black Creators Series podcast. You can listen straight from our ALA Annual panel, featuring four legendary children’s book creators in discussion with Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul, best-selling author, founder of Red Clay Educators, and cofounder of the Institute for Racial Equity in Literacy. Briana Mukodiri U…

Early childhood educator Jamel C. Campbell addresses a common fear that children all over the world experience at the start of a new school year in his debut picture book, Olu’s Teacher. This sweet, reassuring story is paired with the gentle, welcoming illustrations of Lydia Mba. Listen in as he talks with Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul, New York Times best…

Arlène Elizabeth Casimir is an educator, consultant, healer, herbalist, and writer. Her debut picture book, Back Home: Story Time with My Father, illustrated in lush, enchanting colors by artist Ken Daley, is a love letter to her parents’ birthplace and to the ways storytelling can bring us together. Listen in as she talks with Dr. Sonja Cherry-Pau…

Ten-Word Tiny Tales is UK Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho’s magnificent compendium of twenty stories, each illustrated by a different artist and each just ten words long—as much a work of art as an invitation to budding writers. His young adult novel in verse, The Boy Lost in the Maze, is a spellbinding blending of the ancient myth of Theseus and…

Shade Lapite is British-Nigerian and has drawn on her heritage to create the world of her debut middle-grade novel, Goddess Crown, the first in a thrilling Afro-fantasy series set in the lush, opulent kingdom of Galla. Listen in as she talks with Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul, New York Times best-selling author and founder of Red Clay Educators, about her …

Carole Boston Weatherford is a New York Times best-selling author and poet of award-winning books for children. Her picture book How Do You Spell Unfair? MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee, illustrated by the talented Frank Morrison, is the story of young spelling champion MacNolia Cox’s groundbreaking achievement in the face of discriminat…

Born in Britain and raised on the tiny island of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Monique James-Duncan is passionate about writing literature with mirrors so all children can feel seen. Her publishing debut, Mommy Time, illustrated by Ebony Glenn, is an ode to mothers—particularly the largely unseen African American stay-at-home mother. Listen in as s…

Through writing, organizing, and facilitating, author Phoebe Sinclair strives to create space and opportunities for people to listen deeply, speak from the heart, and feel heard. Featuring zines crafted by award-winning illustrator Theodore Taylor III, her debut novel, Confessions of a Candy Snatcher, relates an emotive, reflective story about the …

Christine Platt is an author and advocate who believes storytelling is a tool for social change. Her engaging first chapter-book series, Frankie and Friends, is a refreshing portrayal of Black women in journalism in which her young protagonist, Frankie, explores big ideas such as racial injustice and activism with her supportive family. Listen in a…

Filmmaker and award-winning author, David Barclay Moore infuses history with wry folk wisdom, metaphorical power, and a splash of magic in his bold and original tale Carrimebac. The Civil War may be over, but times are not substantially improved for the freed Black citizens of Walkerton, Georgia. With exquisite cinematic illustrations by John Holyf…

Seasoned author of adult crime fiction Aya de León pits a teen spy against the ominous workings of a white nationalist in Undercover Latina, her debut book for younger readers. This fast-paced upper-middle-grade novel is smart, entertaining, and politically astute. Listen in as Aya de León talks with Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul, New York Times best-selli…

From his childhood in Senegal to his career in the NBA, Tacko Fall’s inspiring story of practice, persistence, and hard work will motivate young readers to overcome obstacles and aim high—and higher still. Listen in as he shares his story with Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul, New York Times best-selling author and founder of Red Clay Educators.…

Award-winning author Linda Williams Jackson centers her middle-grade novel The Lucky Ones around the historical touchstone of Robert Kennedy’s southern “poverty tour,” and pulls from her own childhood in the Mississippi Delta to tell a detail-rich and poignant story with memorable characters—sure to resonate with readers who have ever felt constric…

Author Atinuke was born in Ibadan, a city in southwestern Nigeria, and moved to Lagos with her family when she was five. She spent much of her childhood in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom, where she attended boarding school. She is the author of many books for young readers including the picture books Baby Goes to Market, B Is for Baby, and Cat…

Every generation inherits the problems created by the ones before them, but no generation will inherit as many problems—as many crises—as the current generation of young people. But change, even revolution, is possible; you just have to know where to start. In Better Than We Found It, best-selling author Frederick Joseph and debut author Porsche Jo…

Greg Neri is a filmmaker, poet, and Coretta Scott King honor–winning author whose many books for young readers include Ghetto Cowboy, a thoughtful and entertaining coming-of-age story that was adapted into the Netflix film Concrete Cowboy, and the equally moving follow-up, Polo Cowboy. Listen in as he talks with Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul, New York Time…

Janet Costa Bates, author of Time for Bed, Old House and Rica Baptista: Llamas, Iguanas, and My Very Best Friend, talks to Candlewick Press about her childhood reading experiences, her “quilting” writing method, and her path to publication. Episode Show Notes: Lee and Low interviews Janet. Janet talks to Sonja Cherry-Paul on The Black Creators Seri…

Rhiannon Giddens is an acclaimed musician, singer, songwriter, and cofounder of the traditional African American string band the Carolina Chocolate Drops. She has long used her art to mine America’s musical past and manifest its future, passionately recovering lost voices and reconstructing a nation’s musical heritage. Her debut picture book, Build…

Chris Van Dusen, illustrator of the Mercy Watson books and author-illustrator of Hattie & Hudson, The Circus Ship, Randy Riley’s Really Big Hit, and Big Truck, Little Island, talks to Candlewick Press about his childhood, his work for children’s media giants like Nickelodeon, and his art outside of the world of kid lit. Episode show notes and cited…

Flavia Z. Drago, author-illustrator of Gustavo, the Shy Ghost, Leila, the Perfect Witch, Monsters Play... Counting!, and Monsters Play... Peekaboo! talks to Candlewick Press about her childhood, what it means to have the support of her family, and her love of monsters and spooky things.

Lindsay Eagar, author of The Patron Thief of Bread, Hour of the Bees, Race to the Bottom of the Sea, and The Bigfoot Files, talks to Candlewick Press about her childhood and family, fairy tales, and bread.

Uplifting, touching, charming, and a delightful multigenerational tale are just some of the ways reviewers have described Janet Costa Bates’s newest picture book about the loving bond between a grandfather and his grandson. Listen in as Janet Costa Bates speaks with Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul about Time for Bed, Old House and the powerful ways it can li…

Author of Hoop Queens and its companion, Hoop Kings, as well as Pick-Up Game, Chameleon, and Twelve Rounds to Glory—which was a Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor Book—Charles R. Smith Jr. talks about his new book, Hoop Kings 2: New Royalty, with Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul as they discuss the powerful ways it can be used in classrooms to inspire stud…

Join author and acclaimed artivist De Nichols as she speaks with Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul about her book Art of Protest: Creating, Discovering, and Activating Art for Your Revolution, a thought-provoking look at protest art.

When We Say Black Lives Matter is a picture book celebration behind the true meaning of the words Black Lives Matter. Join award-winning author-illustrator Maxine Beneba Clarke as she converses with Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul about her latest picture book and the profound and inspiring ways it can be used in classrooms.…

Elite athlete and Netflix documentary star Zion Clark joins Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul to discuss his extraordinary and deeply inspirational authorial debut, Zion Unmatched; his upcoming projects; and the powerful messages they bring to classrooms.

Eugene Yelchin, author of The Genius Under the Table (Sydney Taylor Honor Winner) and coauthor of The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge, talks to Candlewick Press about his childhood in the former Soviet Union, his art, banned books, and more.

Maggie Tokuda-Hall, author of Also an Octopus; The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea; and Love in the Library talks to Candlewick Press about the many hats she has worn in the field of children’s literature, her childhood and teen years, and her travels to South America.

Multiple-award-winning illustrator Eric Velasquez speaks with Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul about his latest work, ¡Mambo Mucho Mambo! The Dance That Crossed Color Lines, a picture book that portrays the power of music and dance to transcend racial, religious, and ethnic boundaries.

Chitra Soundar, author of Pattan’s Pumpkin; Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship; and Sona Sharma, Very Best Big Sister? talks to Candlewick Press about her deep research into pumpkins, the art of cooking up good stories (and excuses), and her favorite words to spell!

National Book Award Finalist Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People puts the Panthers in the proper context of Black American history. It invites a new generation of readers grappling with injustices in the United States to learn from the Panthers’ history and courage, inspiring them to take their own place in the o…

Chris Haughton, author-illustrator of Little Owl Lost, Shh! We Have a Plan, Goodnight Everyone, and more, talks to Candlewick Press about his childhood in Ireland, his love of dinosaurs, and the bad little monkeys in his newest picture book, Maybe…

Suspenseful, absorbing, powerful, unflinching, extraordinary, and rich are just some of the ways reviewers have described the fictionalized childhood story of literary genius Zora Neale Hurston written by Victoria Bond and T. R. Simon. Listen in as the authors speak with Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul about their inspiration for the Zora and Me trilogy and …

Leslie Patricelli, author-illustrator of board books like Yummy Yucky and Huggy Kissy and middle-grade fiction like The Rizzlerunk Club: Best Buds Under Frogs, talks to Candlewick Press about finding humor in scary situations, her artwork, music, and the many places her famous baby character has traveled!…

In his trilogy of picture books, Michael S. Bandy recounts for young readers his childhood as a Black boy growing up in the segregated South. The first two books were nominated for NAACP Image Awards. The third, Northbound: A Train Ride Out of Segregation, received two starred reviews and was described by Kirkus Reviews as “painful history portraye…

Atinuke, author of Baby Goes to Market; Too Small Tola; Africa, Amazing Africa: Country by Country; the Anna Hibiscus series; and more talks to Candlewick Press about her Nigerian roots and the art of oral and written storytelling!

Angie Thomas, award-winning author of The Hate U Give, said of performance poet Sophia Thakur’s Somebody Give This Heart a Pen, “The power of her words will affect generations.” Listen in to find out why as Sophia Thakur and Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul discuss her debut poetry collection for young adults and the powerful ways it can be used in schools an…

Kekla Magoon, multiple award-winning author of books for young readers of all ages and the recipient of the 2021 American Library Association’s prestigious Margaret A. Edwards Award for her significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature, talks with Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul about her work and the powerful ways it can be used in classroo…

Tami Charles, author of Freedom Soup and My Day with the Panye, talks to Candlewick Press about her days as an R&B singer, Haitian culture and cooking, her extreme dislike of onions, and how she measures success.