My wonderful art director over at Simon & Schuster, Laurent Linn, sent me the jacket mechs from our upcoming release, Please, Louise (written by Toni Morrison). Over the course of my short career, I have learned that deciding on cover art and design is never solely up to the artist. Jacket art is usually agreed … Read more
Last night I took B. B. Bright to Harrisburg, PA and read to a boat full of children on the Pride of the Susquehana! The Pride is one of only 7 remaining “authentic” paddle wheel riverboat in the United States. This means that the Pride ONLY uses the paddle wheels for both propulsion and steering. … Read more
What a weekend. Friday afternoon I traveled to NYC to attend the Phillis Wheatley Award ceremony. I met up with my wonderful friend and fellow illustrator, Taeeun Yoo earlier in the day for a great lunch at Cho Dang Gol of Stone Bowl Bibimbap and Dak Galbi. Next we took the 1 train to 125th … Read more
Congratulations to Alice Randall, Caroline Randall Williams, and the Turner Publishing team! The Diary of B. B. Bright, Possible Princess, is a 2013 Phillis Wheatley Award Book Finalist. Presented annually at The Harlem Book Fair, The Phillis Wheatley Book Awards recognize the best African American books and writers in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Children’s literature. … Read more
One of my facebook friends sent this message to me yesterday: Hey Shadra! Hope you are well. I wrote a book a few years ago and am interested in trying to get it published. Do you happen to have any contacts you could connect me with or your advice on attempting to publish? If you … Read more
Summertime has become the time of year to tie up loose ends, plan, and organize for the future. Because I am so busy during the school year serving our students at MICA, my personal work moves at a slower pace. Recently, I wrapped up and delivered final art for Toni & Slade Morrison’s latest picturebook, Please, … Read more
Hey book people! It’s that time of year again. Time to dust off your ideas and flesh them out in Pat Cummings’s Children’s Book Boot Camp! The June 18th deadline is quickly approaching. More information is located below.
Yesterday I attended the Reginald F. Lewis Museum’s first African American Book Fair! It was a fantastic event with a great turnout. I am hoping that the museum will continue the fair each year and bring in more and more booklovers! The highlight of my day was seeing book friends like James and Lesa Cline … Read more
1 – 4 p.m. Parents, educators and book lovers are invited to hear authors and illustrators discuss the power of multicultural stories. Children can enjoy bookmaking crafts and will receive free books (limited quantity). Date and Time: Saturday, May 4, 1:00 pm Important Information: Free program. In conjunction with Defining Moments. Contact Information: For more … Read more
We’re well into 2013 and all is moving (somewhat) smoothly. I spent my winter break here in Baltimore working which was a welcome break from my teaching schedule. I am halfway through a new project and am looking forward to clearing my head in a couple of months. I did take a few days to … Read more