NOTE: All my reviews are live on Goodreads for these titles!!!
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Seeking Shanti: A Family's Story of Climate Change
by Jesse Byrd (Author), Sandy Kaur Gill (Author), Monica Paola Rodriguez (Illustrator)
Paw Prints; May 30, 2023; Ages 5-8; 40 pages
Hardcover; $19.99; 978-1223191492; 10 1/4 x 10 1/4
Paperback; $9.99; 978-1223186986; 10 x 10
After Kavya and her family are flooded out of their home in Southeast Asia, they have to make the difficult decision to return and try to rebuild or move away from their native land. Two of the creators of Seeking Shanti are also behind the non-profits Create-Structure and Better Shelter. Over the past five years, Better Shelter has collaborated with leading UN organizations, NGOs, governmental donors and the private sector to provide shelter for the displaced due to climate crises. So far, they have provided 60,000 shelters that benefit displaced families, classrooms and health care facilities in over 60 countries.
About the Author: Jesse Byrd is an award-winning author of six traditionally published children's books. As an editor, consultant, and art director, he's helped develop more than 40 children's books in the last three years, with most of those centering and being by diverse people. He has led creative projects for the NBA, PayPal, The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Brex, and more and is the youngest NPR Foundation Board Member. In 2022, he was one of the top-selling literary agents in America, selling 21 titles to traditional publishers, with most of those titles being from first-time authors and illustrators from marginalized backgrounds. He believes in championing a spectrum of diversity and "own voices" across immigrant experiences, ethnic diversity, differently-abled communities, age, nationality, and more.
Mighty Mara
by Carina Ho (Author), Jesse Byrd (Author), Monica Paola Rodriguez (Illustrator)
Paw Prints; May 30, 2023; Ages 4-7; 48 pages
Hardcover; $18.99; 978-1223186306; 10 1/4 x 10 1/4
Paperback; $9.99; 978-1223186313; 10 1/4 x 9 2/5
A young girl aspires to dance despite her physical disability. Welcome to Sametown, where everyone and everything is...well...the same. Except Mara! She's a little different. She’s bright. She’s sunny. And, unlike her classmates who are all planning on performing a similar magic show act at the school talent show, she is going to dance, dance, dance! One problem: everyone in Sametown – her classmates, her teacher – they all think she shouldn’t do it. And it’s not just (it seems) because dancing isn’t the status quo in Sametown...It’s because they just don’t believe in Mara because she uses a wheelchair. Mara won't let their dissuading and their heckling rock her spirit, though. She’s Mighty Mara and she’s about to shake she some new life into her homogenous hometown in the most surprising and beautiful of ways.
About the Author: Carina Ho is a Bay Area-based music producer, award-winning dancer, and author who uses a wheelchair. As an electronic music producer, she creates work under the moniker ONIKHO and melds her influences of blues, soul, and pop. Having formerly danced professionally with AXIS Dance Company, she often blends dance and music through collaborations with artists both with and without disabilities. She is a Fulbright Fellowship recipient and has toured both the United States and internationally to teach and perform. As an advocate for inclusion and accessibility, Carina’s mission as an artist is to champion greater visibility for people with disabilities. Mighty Mara is her first book and she hopes that it will inspire young readers to practice inclusive behavior throughout their lives. Carina is represented by Jesse B. Creative and you can see her work at onikhomusic.com and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
I Grab The Mic
by Malik Sickstein (Author), Paige A. Mason (Illustrator)
Paw Prints; May 30, 2023; Ages 5-8; 48 pages
Hardcover; $18.99; 978-1223186566; 10 1/4 x 10 1/4
Paperback; $8.99; 978-1223186573; 9 1 /2 x 10
Kiss stage fright goodbye…
You’re super fly.
Grab that mic!
I Grab the Mic is the first in a picture book series featuring kids overcoming socially-challenging scenarios and building confidence, all written in lyrical hip-hop inspired verse. In this first story, a young girl and her friends grapple with the nerves that come with public speaking. Ultimately the kids all find the confidence to share their voice!
About the Author: Malik Sickstein is a Master's level counseling professional, hip-hop historian, proud Bison, and recording artist who co-authored the critically acclaimed YA novel Let Me Hear A Rhyme. He is a committee panelist for the Virginia Children’s Book Festival and is passionate about writing children’s and adult non-fiction that express life lessons. He is the product of three places: Harlem, NYC (where he was born), D.C. (his second home), and the SF Bay Area (where he lives). Malik Sickstein is represented by Jesse B. Creative and you can find him online at Malik-16.com and follow him on Instagram.
Bunso Meets a Mumu
by Rev Valdez (Author, Illustrator)
Paw Prints; May 30, 2023; Ages 5-7; 48 pages
Hardcover; $18.99; 978-1223186399; 10 1/4 x 10 1/4
Paperback; $9.99; 978-1223186405; 9 4/5 x 9 4/5
Meet Bunso, a boy with a really scary problem. It’s the Mumu, the Filipino version of the Boogeyman, who likes to frighten kids who don’t do as they are told by their elders! The Mumu will not let Bunso draw (on the walls), eat ice cream (before dinner), or play video games (his older brother’s). But Bunso has had enough! Gearing up to fight back against this destroyer of fun, Bunso makes surprising discoveries about the Mumu (and himself) in this fun, comic-like picture book that introduces children to Filipino culture and words.
About the Author: Rev Valdez is a Filipino-American illustrator based in San Francisco, CA. He’s passionate about introducing young readers to the myths and mythical creatures of Filipino culture through fun and funny visual storytelling. He is the author and illustrator of Bunso Meets a Mumu and is represented by Jesse B. Creative. Follow Rev on Facebook and Instagram.
Cake Mix: Learning to Love All Your Ingredients
by Mikki Hernandez (Author), Victoria Lewis (Illustrator)
Paw Prints; July 4, 2023; Ages 5-8; 32 pages
Hardcover; $18.99; 978-1223186429; 8 3/5 x 11 1/3
Paperback: $9.99; 978-1223186436; 8 1/2 x 11
A young mixed-race girl named Remy, encounters that intrusive question, “What are you?” during her first day at a new school, which sends her on a journey towards self-acceptance. Feeling confused about where she belongs, Remy learns about ethnicity and what it means to be mixed by doing her favorite activity with her mother: baking. When she then returns to school, Remy shares the importance of celebrating different backgrounds, as you would the ingredients that make up a delicious cake, with her classmates.
About the Author: Mikki Hernandez is an actress, voiceover artist, and writer. She attended UCLA earning a degree in Communications and works in entertainment. She is of mixed-race heritage and enjoys discussing culture and new perspectives on her blog MixedKids&Co. Her debut children’s book, Cake Mix: Learning to Love All Your Ingredients, is now available. In her free time, she can be found dancing, taking long walks in the sun, or planning her next international trip. Mikki lives in Los Angeles and is represented by Jesse B. Creative. Learn more about her at mixedkidsco.com and follow her on Instagram.
Hello, Sweet Baby: An Adoption Journey
by Janeen Jackson (Author), Brittanie Gaja (Illustrator)
Paw Prints; August 22, 2023; Ages 4-7; 40 pages
Hardcover; $18.99; 978-1223186535; 11 x 8 1/2
Paperback; $8.99; 978-1223186542; 10 3/4 x 8 1.2
Young and in love, Momma Red and Poppa Yellow Tomato decide to have a baby tomato. However, Momma and Poppa quickly learn that they cannot properly care for their sweet seedling the way they want and make the difficult decision to release her to another loving tomato family in Hopewell Garden, using the assistance of a helpful ladybug adoption agent. Hello, Sweet Baby is a heartfelt, magical story by a bright new talent about adoption, making tough choices, honoring differences, and celebrating different types of families.
About the Author: At age 46, Janeen Jackson received unexpected news through DNA technology: she was adopted and biracial. She found inspiration for this book in a small tomato garden at her son Phoenix’s elementary school. Writing this story was Janeen’s way of explaining her adoption, her mixed race background, the family that released her, and the family that adopted her and loved her as their own. Janeen was a longtime resident of Santa Monica, CA, and in 2022 moved to Evanston, IL, with her husband, Ron Clark, and their two sons, Tyson and Phoenix. She received her B.A. from the HBCU Norfolk State University and completed her master’s in Education Leadership and Change in 2020 from Antioch University. Hello, Sweet Baby is Janeen’s first children’s book. Janeen is represented by Jesse B. Creative and you can find her online at janeenjackson.com and read her blog mixedupdiary.com.
About Jesse B. Creative
Jesse B. Creative specializes in developing diverse children’s books on behalf of traditional publishers. They prioritize creating better access to and growth within the world of children's books for artists from marginalized communities. Through its literary agency arm, Jesse B. Creative represents authors and illustrators of children’s books, prioritizing diverse creators. As a book packager, Jesse B. Creative develops children’s books for major publishers and delivers the books ready for print. And finally, through its Each Story Matters non-profit, the company has hosted more than 20 publishing workshops in the last two years while transforming kids into published authors. By Fall 2024, more than 300 kids will have become published authors. This program was created to give kids insight into the science and artistry of how stories come together; give them exposure to guest instructors from places like PIXAR, Marvel, and more; provide them with the pride of being published authors; and hopefully, reduce fear of and improve their relationship with literacy. Learn more about Jesse B. Creative at jessebcreative.com, and follow the company on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
