Michael Redhead Champagne, a Time Magazine Next Generation Leader (2015) is an Ininew public speaker, writer, award-winning community advocate, and on-screen personality. We Need Everyone is Michael’s first children’s book. You can find Michael on Instagram, Facebook, & X (Twitter). At Diverse BookFinder, we’re all about the importance of diverse, representative literature for children. What […]
Category: Author/Illustrator Interviews
Author and illustrator interviews highlighting the need for diverse books and balanced representation.
“Where once people of color were merely talked about, we finally get to do the talking.” – An Illustrator Interview with Minnie Phan
Minnie Phan (she/her) is a queer Vietnamese American cartoonist, illustrator and writer based in Oakland, CA. Her work has been featured by Google, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the San Francisco Public Library, for which she illustrated a citywide reading campaign in 2022. She is the illustrator of the picture book The […]
“Their ability to see themselves in literature is empowering…” – An Author Interview with David A. Robertson
David A. Robertson (he/him/his) is an award-winning author of more than 25 books including Governor General’s Literary Award winners On the Trapline and When We Were Alone, as well as the popular middle-grade series The Misewa Saga. David’s latest title, The Kodiaks: Home Ice Advantage released on April 9, 2024. He is also the writer and host of […]
Tasha’s Voice – An Interview with the Creators
Tasha’s Voice is a new Picture Book releasing on 04/09/2024 from the Yosemite Conservancy This new titles is authored by Carmen Bogan and jointly illustrated by the late Floyd Cooper and his mentee Daria Peoples. Keep reading below for a wonderful joint interview with Carmen & Daria about their new title which celebrates the great […]
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“In order to do representation well, we’re going to have to either confront or subvert all sorts of stereotypes.” – An Author Interview with Malcolm Newsome
Malcolm Newsome is a children’s book author from the Chicago area. He has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology and now works in cyber security for a company called Jemurai Security. He writes picture books with the aim of bringing hope and possibility to as many young people as he can. Malcolm is a […]
“I want Native children to see themselves in modern stories in their communities…” – An Author Interview with Laurel Goodluck
Laurel Goodluck is Mandan, Hidatsa from the prairies of North Dakota, and Tsimshian from the rainforest in Alaska. She now resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with her Diné husband, where they raised two children also bent on storytelling in journalism and acting. Belonging to an intertribal family is at the heart of her stories, encouraging […]
At times in my childhood, I thought I had to “pick a side”… – An Author Interview with Mike Yam
Mike Yam is a sportscaster and studio host for NFL Network and SiriusXM radio. He has worked at ESPN, NBA TV and Pac-12 Network. Fried Rice and Marinara marks his debut in children’s literature. Growing up with a Chinese immigrant father from Hong Kong and an Italian mother, Yam has always been fascinated by diverse […]
“I aim to empower young children to embrace their uniqueness and cultivate self-worth…” – An Author Interview with Kheris Rogers
Kheris Rogers is a model, dancer, singer, actress, and the world’s youngest designer to ever showcase her clothing line at New York Fashion Week. Kheris started the now-famed Flexin’ In My Complexion brand after years of being bullied in school because of her dark skin. Kheris was on Teen Vogue’s 21 Under 21 list and is […]
“There’s no one way for Blackness to exist on the page.” – An Author Interview with Ty Chapman
Ty Chapman is the author of Sarah Rising (Beaming 2022); Looking For Happy (Beaming 2023); A Door Made for Me, written with Tyler Merritt (WorthyKids 2022); as well as multiple forthcoming children’s books through various publishers, and a forthcoming poetry collection through Button Poetry. Ty was a 2022 Center for Arts + Social Justice Fellow; […]
“I’ve always been an outsider…” – An Author Interview with SJ Sindu
SJ Sindu is a Tamil diaspora author of two literary novels (Marriage of a Thousand Lies, which won the Publishing Triangle Edmund White Award; and Blue-Skinned Gods, which was an Indie Next Pick and a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award), two hybrid chapbooks (I Once Met You But You Were Dead, which won the Split […]
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