Nikki Grimes does not consider herself a bona fide storyteller, but, as she told an audience at the Library of Congress, she is happy to own the title Poet. Born and raised in New York City, Nikki began composing verse at the age of six and has been writing ever since that time. A bestselling author and a prolific artist, Nikki has written many award-winning books for children and young adults including the Coretta Scott King Award winner Bronx Masquerade ; the Coretta Scott King Author Honor bo...
Dec 14, 2021•41 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Reggie Brown loves drawing vivid scenes of Black children and families that include expressive, unforgettable characters that make children and adults want to read and re-read those stories. He enjoys bringing to life in illustrations the stories of the immigrant experience; discrimination and racism; growing up in an underserved community; perseverance and hard-work; military families; family members with mental health and substance/alcohol abuse -authors writing these stories are also bringing...
Nov 30, 2021•32 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Frank Murphy is a teacher who writes and a writer who teaches. He has taught a wide variety of grades at the elementary for more than 28 years. A history buff, former basketball coach & Sixers fan, and popular speaker, Frank is the author of many fun historical fiction/biography books for young readers. As a teacher and father, Frank is committed to creating children's books that expand readers' knowledge of history and help inspire discussions about kindness, leadership, citizenship, growin...
Nov 16, 2021•59 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Lamar Giles is a well-published author and a founding member of We Need Diverse Books. His most recent novels include NOT SO PURE AND SIMPLE his first Contemporary Coming-of-Age Story (HarperTeen/HarperCollins) and Middle-Grade Fantasy THE LAST MIRROR ON THE LEFT (Versify/HMH), the sequel to his 2019 hit THE LAST LAST-DAY-OF-SUMMER. Lamar is a two-time Edgar Award finalist in the YA category, for his debut YA thriller FAKE ID (HarperCollins, 2014), and his second YA thriller, ENDANGERED (HarperC...
Nov 02, 2021•47 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Anne Wynter is originally from Houston, Texas, and currently lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, their two children, and a cat. In addition to writing children’s books, she’s written more than a dozen short plays that have been produced around the country. Anne earned a degree in drama from Washington University in St. Louis, received a certificate in short story writing from the University of Chicago, and studied writing for children at the Writing Barn. Everybody in the Red Brick Buildin...
Oct 19, 2021•40 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich is the author of several children’s books, including 8th Grade Superzero, Two Naomis, co-authored with Audrey Vernick, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award, It Doesn't Take A Genius, Operation Sisterhood, Above and Beyond: NASA's Journey to Tomorrow, and the picture books Someday Is Now and Mae Makes A Way. She is a member of the Brown Bookshelf, and editor of the We Need Diverse Books anthology The Hero Next Door. Olugbemisola lives with her family in New Y...
Oct 05, 2021•41 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Award-winning writer-illustrator Selina Alko now spends her days melding words and mixed-media art to convey stories of hope and inspiration—as well as an alternative viewpoint. Growing up in Vancouver, British Columbia with a Turkish Jewish father who spoke seven languages and taught painting, and a Jewish mother who worked in the family’s century-old metal recycling business, she was surrounded by the melody of words and stories from different places and varied visual possibilities. When Selin...
Sep 21, 2021•40 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Patric Richardson is a longtime lover of beautiful textiles, developing as a child both an appreciation for wonderful clothes and amazing, service-focused department stores like Parson’s and Stone & Thomas in eastern Kentucky and West Virginia. He was voted best dressed in eighth grade and again in high school, and his obsession with clothes continued. In college, there was only one choice, a degree in fashion merchandising, apparel and textiles. His time at the University of Kentucky allowe...
Sep 07, 2021•42 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Laila Ali is a world-class athlete, fitness & wellness advocate, TV host, home chef, founder of the Laila Ali Lifestyle Brand, and mother of two. The daughter of late beloved global icon and humanitarian, Muhammad Ali, she is a four-time undefeated boxing world champion, whose stellar record includes 24 wins (21 of which were “knockouts”) and zero losses. Laila is heralded as the most successful female in the history of women’s boxing. In 2012 when women’s boxing was included in the Olympics...
Aug 24, 2021•53 min•Season 3Ep. 1
In her former career, Nikkia McClain worked as a successful real estate agent in which she managed million-dollar properties. After several years of helping clients realize their real estate dreams, Nikkia wanted to explore other opportunities aligned to her personal goals to pursue a career in marketing and public relations - a very bold decision given Nikkia had no background in the two fields. She established her marketing and public relations firm, TENÉ NÍCOLE, and she put her knowledge and ...
Jun 15, 2021•37 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Nadia Odunayo is the founder and CEO of The StoryGraph, the new website that helps you to track your reading and choose which book to read next. She previously worked at Pivotal Labs as a software engineer and originally learned to code at Makers Academy in London. In her spare time she loves to take dance class and, naturally, read! Follow The StoryGraph on Twitter @thestorygraph and Instagram @the.storygraph. Visit Nadia’s website: https://www.nadiaodunayo.com/ Connect with Charnaie online in ...
Jun 01, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Traci lives with her family in the Cherokee Nation, out in the country like she did as a child. Back then, she had geese, chickens, horses, dogs and cats. Her mother’s Cherokee family has been in the area since the removal of most Cherokee people from their southeastern homelands in 1838. Traci grew up hearing stories about her ancestors and looking at their photographs with her elisi (eh-lee-see), grandma. Now her son does that with his elisi in addition to fishing in the nearby lake and learni...
May 18, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Atinuke is a Nigerian-born author who started her career doing traditional oral storytelling. Her books include a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Winner, a Notable Book for a Global Society, a Cybils Award Winner, and an Africana Award Winner. She is the author of the popular Anna Hibiscus series, B is for Baby , Too Small Tola and more. She currently lives in Wales. Learn more about Juana and her work by visiting her website: http://atinuke-author.weebly.com/ Books mentioned in this episode: Too S...
May 04, 2021•54 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Juana Martinez-Neal is the Peruvian-born daughter and granddaughter of painters. Her debut as an author-illustrator, Alma and How She Got Her Name, was awarded a Caldecott Honor and was published in Spanish as Alma y cómo obtuvo su nombre. She also illustrated La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya, for which she won a Pura Belpré Illustrator Award, and Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard, which won a Robert F. Sibert Medal. Juana Martinez-Neal lives in Con...
Apr 20, 2021•39 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Nandi Taylor is a Canadian writer of Afro-Caribbean descent based in Toronto. Her debut novel Given garnered over one million reads on the online story sharing site Wattpad and earned a starred review from ALA's Booklist magazine. She graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in English literature and a diploma in journalism. Nandi has worked as a travel writer while living abroad in Japan, which indulged her passion for bringing beautiful locations to life through the written word....
Apr 06, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Vanessa Brantley-Newton is a self-taught illustrator, doll maker, and crafter who studied fashion illustration at FIT and children's book illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York. She is the author and illustrator of Grandma's Purse and Just Like Me , and has illustrated numerous children's books, including The King of Kindergarten and Sewing Stories . Vanessa currently makes her nest in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, daughter, and a very rambunctious cat named Stripes...
Mar 23, 2021•51 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Roda Ahmed the author of the children’s book “Mae Among the Stars” that published in 2018 with Harper Collins. “Mae Among the Stars” is inspired by the story of Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to travel into space. Roda was born in Somalia and moved to Norway with her family and seven siblings. She’s a graduate in Anthropology from the Norwegian University of Technology and Natural Sciences. Roda has also mastered five languages; Somali, Arabic, Norwegian, English and French. Visit...
Mar 09, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Jarrett has been a storyteller most his life, both on his own and in collaboration with Jerome. While their earliest work remains locked in a drawer—the key long lost for good measure—their first co-authored book, Creepy Things Are Scaring Me , was published by HarperCollins in 2003. Since then, Jarrett has been honing his skills of storytelling as an entrepreneur. He’s served as creative director for multiple technology companies and, most recently, as co-founder and CEO of a startup in the hig...
Feb 23, 2021•49 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Sandhya Prabhat is an Independent Animator and Illustrator based in the Bay Area, California and is from Chennai, India. She holds an MFA Degree in Animation and Digital Arts from NYU Tisch School of the Arts Asia, and a Bachelor's Degree in Literature from Stella Maris College. Sandhya has illustrated more than ten children's books. She also works on animation for TV and movies, and designs for social media platforms. Visit sandhyaprabhat.com and visit her on Facebook and Instagram @sandhyaprab...
Feb 09, 2021•47 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Rio Cortez is the New York Times bestselling author of The ABCs of Black History (Workman, 2020) and I Have Learned to Define a Field as a Space Between Mountains (Jai Alai Books, 2015). Born and raised in Salt Lake City, she now lives, writes, and works in Harlem. Letter by letter, The ABCs of Black History celebrates a story that spans continents and centuries, triumph and heartbreak, creativity and joy. To learn more about Rio please visit her website at https://www.riocortez.com/ Books menti...
Jan 26, 2021•34 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Malcolm Mitchell is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of his non-profit organization Share the Magic Foundation. As the Chief Executive Officer, he focuses on the foundation’s overall growth, development, and impact. Malcolm grew up in Valdosta, Georgia, and attended the University of Georgia (UGA) where he obtained a Communications degree. Malcolm was drafted by the New England Patriots in 2016 and became a Super Bowl Champion in February 2017. Among Malcolm’s numerous awards and accompli...
Jan 12, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Alissa Holder is a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She has always had a passion for working with children and works as a teacher at a childcare center in New York City. She is the mother of two children, Ayaan Diop and Alaia. Zulekha Holder-Young is a graduate of Spelman College, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in economics. She has passed on her love of reading to her three children, Amari, Amir, and Aria. She liv...
Dec 22, 2020•48 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Don Tate is an award-winning author, and the illustrator of numerous critically acclaimed books for children. He is also one of the founding hosts of the blog The Brown Bookshelf – a blog designed to push awareness of the myriad of African American voices writing for young readers, with book reviews, author and illustrator interviews. Don frequently speaks at schools, public libraries and writing conferences, and participates in book festivals. Some of the books Don has either written or illustr...
Dec 08, 2020•50 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Shane W. Evans is a multi-talented artist and visionary who combines his world travels with his art to influence creative expression in others. Evans studied at Syracuse University School of Visual and Performing Arts and graduated in 1993 and began traveling the world. In addition to contract work in illustration, graphic design and web design for major companies, Evans has conceptualized and illustrated numerous children’s books. Many of Shane’s books have been featured in the media such as Th...
Nov 24, 2020•58 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Oge Mora is a storyteller residing in Providence, RI. Her picture book, Thank You, Omu!, was a Caldecott Honor, Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner, Ezra Jack Keats Book Award recipient, and a New York Times Notable Book and Editors' Choice. Her second book, Saturday was a Parent’s Magazine, Publishers’ Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Horn Book, and School & Library Journal Best Book of 2019. Oge’s artwork has been applauded by The Washington Post, The New York Times,...
Nov 10, 2020•54 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Meet Dr. Theanne Griffith, a neuroscientist and the author of the STEM-themed chapter book series, The Magnificent Makers. Since she was a little girl, she has loved both storytelling and science. Her books blend these two passions, taking young readers on out of this world adventures they will never forget. The first two books in her series, How to Test a Friendship and Brain Trouble are currently available where books are sold. The third book in The Magnificent Makers series, Riding Sound Wave...
Oct 27, 2020•54 min•Season 1Ep. 8
In this episode, Charnaie gets up close and personal with author-illustrator Cozbi A. Cabrera. In addition to being a wife and mom, Cozbi is also an author, illustrator and doll maker of the most beautiful handmade dolls. Cozbi A. Cabrera received a BFA from Parsons School of Design. Her cloth dolls (Muñecas) have garnered the attention of collectors around the world and have been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She is the illustrator of several books, including Me & Mama, Exquisite:...
Oct 20, 2020•49 min•Season 1Ep. 7
In this episode, Charnaie chats books with author Kelly Starling Lyons and illustrator Nina Mata. Listen to find out what the inspiration behind the Ty’s Travels series was and learn the upcoming projects both Kelly and Nina are working on. Kelly Starling Lyons is a founding member of The Brown Bookshelf (http://thebrownbookshelf.com). Her acclaimed picture books include Ellen’s Broom, Going Down Home with Daddy, and Sing a Song: How "Lift Every Voice and Sing" Inspired Generations. Kelly attend...
Oct 13, 2020•59 min•Season 1Ep. 6
In this episode, Charnaie chats with Eva Chen. Eva Chen went from being a former pre-med student to the director of fashion partnerships at Instagram. She’s also a wife, mom and children's book author. Previously she was editor-in-chief of Lucky and beauty and health director at Teen Vogue. Eva’s books include: Roxy the Last Unisaurus Rex, A is for Awesome! 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World, Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes, 321 Awesome! 20 Fearless Women Who Dared to be Differen...
Oct 06, 2020•58 min•Season 1Ep. 5
In this episode, Charnaie chats with five-year old Parker Curry and her mother Jessica Curry. Parker is a precocious, charismatic, and talkative five year old, who loves ballet, books and learning Mandarin Chinese. She is the New York Times Bestselling author of the picture book Parker Looks Up which received an NAACP Image Award nomination. Her favorite colors are pink and purple and she lives with her mother, father, younger sister and baby brother in Washington, DC. This is a lively and adora...
Sep 29, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 4
