HarperCollins Children’s Books reached out to my literary agents interested in collaborating on a series they would like me to write as the primary author. The aim of the series is to support and guide allies in social justice work in the following areas: antiracism, feminism, queer ally, and environmentalism. Each book goes over the core topic and follows Ally Babies throughout their day with concrete solid examples of how to be a solid and supportive ally. All books have been reviewed by an activist for sensitivity and truthfulness.
We began this project in April and it has shaped into a gorgeous rhyming series beautifully displaying how allies can work to combat social issues and support marginalized communities and individuals. I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of this series because:
I care about every social justice issue addressed by each book
I believe in the series being a great way for families to see themselves and see ways in which they can fight towards an equitable and regenerative world.
The books work on multiple levels for multiple ages.
In the series, we did not shy away from correct terminology and BIG vocabulary words. As an educator and former Kindergarten teacher, I encouraged a robust vocabulary in my classroom as having a rich vocabulary improves all areas of communication (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). A huge part of communicating successfully is being able to vocalize what you mean. The series is definitely aimed at increasing lingo to build ally accuracy and confidence. AND for those who aren’t talking yet, the pictures say a thousand thanks to Jade Orlando (Illustrator).
The first two books in the series, ‘Ally Baby Can Be Antiracist’ and ‘Ally Baby Can Be Feminist’ come out in 2022. The second two, ‘Ally Baby Can Be a Queer Ally’ and ‘Ally Baby Can Be an Environmentalist’ will be released in 2023. The most important aspect of the series is honoring that ally is both a noun and a verb and in this series, we are emboldening doing the latter.
PREORDER Ally Baby Can Be Antiracist
