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CBC Notable Social Studies Award! Through Sand and Salt: A Tale of Discovery Across the Sahara was just named a Notable Social Studies Trade Book by the Children's Book Council and the National Council for the Social Studies! Check out the full list here! |
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Keynote Speaker! I'm honored to be the keynote speaker at the 17th Annual Student Art Exhibit at the Empire State Plaza! Please join us for the opening reception if you're in New York's Capital Region... Thursday, March 12, 2026 at 5:30pm at the Empire State Plaza Concourse Albany, NY. |
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New York Times list! My book Bedtime for Sweet Creatures, written by Nikki Grimes, is on the New York Times list of 52 Great Books for Toddlers! Check out the complete list of amazing books for little ones here. Happy Reading! |
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New Book! My latest illustrated book is out now! Kente for Jojo, written by Bernard Mensah, is a joyful picture book about a big brother weaving a Kente cloth for the new baby in his family- a Kente cloth which must be perfect! Available June 3, 2025 by Alfred A. Knopf Books! It's available from Amazon, Penguin Random House, Barnes & Noble, or wherever you buy books! |
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Junior Library Guild! Through Sand and Salt: A Tale of Discovery Across the Sahara was just named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. I'm looking forward to sharing it with readers and educators everywhere! |
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New Book! I am thrilled to announce my next book! Through Sand and Salt: A Tale of Discovery Across the Sahara is a picture book about one boy on a journey to deliver salt across the desert-a journey that will reveal the precious rock's true value... This book will be published January 21, 2025 by Bloomsbury Children's Books! It's available for pre-order on Amazon, Bloomsbury, Barnes & Noble, or wherever you buy books! |
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Virtual Visits... The hero of I am Farmer: Growing an Environmental Movement in Cameroon, Farmer Tantoh Nforbah, is conducting virtual visits! You can contact him at fatantoh@gmail.com to set up your classroom or library's virtual interview session! You can also learn about his current environmental work in Cameroon at https://www.syfaglobal.org/. |
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Mural... I was honored to bring to life the portraits of Catherine and Adam Blake Jr., fixtures in the 19th century development of downtown Albany, NY., through a colorful mural! A collaboration between the Albany Center Gallery and The Blake Annex, my mural, "Meet the Blakes: Icons of Industry" celebrates this African-American couple who thrived as entrepreneurs in a time and place where they were not always welcome or supported. The mural adorns the walls of The Blake Annex, the United Way of the Greater Capital Region's new co-working space in the old Steuben Club building. You can request a tour and check it out! |
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Podcast Guest... Follow along with the Artful Albany guided walking tour podcast, exploring the painted murals in the Capital Walls Public Art Project! In each episode, participating mural artists share their inspiration and process in making their murals come to life. Listen to Episode 1: Bluebirds & Geraldine's Reverie for a behind the scenes look at my very first large-scale mural! |
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Studio TV Visit... I was recently honored to share a bit of my artistic process and childhood memories with the folks at AHA! A House for Arts, on my local public television station, WMHT-tv. You can watch my segment, as well as past episodes, here! Hope you enjoy! |
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StoryWalk... Bedtime for Sweet Creatures is the newest addition to Albany, NY's StoryWalk program! Albany Public Library and the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District have disassembled and posted book pages around downtown Albany at 17 participating locations, so you can read the book as you take a short walk! View the Bedtime for Sweet Creatures Downtown StoryWalk® Project tour locations on Google maps here. Check out the neighborhood maps for all of Albany's StoryWalks here. |
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Mural... I recently painted a mural at Lincoln Elementary Community School in Schenectady, NY... 'Flourishing Garden' is inspired by the tenets that the school community lives by, and features the words "We love, we dream, we grow, we serve, we flourish" and bright, diverse flowers thriving together under blue skies and bountiful sunshine... |
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Podcast Guest... I was recently honored to be a guest on the wonderful The Children's Book Podcast with Matthew Winner. We talked about books, faces, and more... Hope you can check it out! |
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Podcast Guest... I recently had a lovely chat about writing, illustrating and baking for Grandpa Cacao: a Tale of Chocolate, from Farm to Family on The Storied Recipe Podcast with Becky Hadeed. We chatted about family, food and memories... Hope you can check it out! (photo by The Storied Recipe Podcast) |
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Sculpture... I recently participated in Downtown is Pawsome, Downtown Albany Business Improvement District's public art exhibition of ten painted Nipper dog statues! Mine is called 'Bloomie', and he's painted with flowers inspired by the melting pot of cultures that make up our Capital Region. 'Bloomie' is currently on display indoors until Spring at the Albany Firefighters Museum in Albany, NY. Here's a little montage of the painting process, step by step... |
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Mural... I was honored to participate in Albany, New York's Capital Walls project, a partnership between the Albany Center Gallery, the Albany Parking Authority, and the Albany BARN. Capital Walls seeks to promote art and artists by funding public art in urban spaces. My mural, 'Geraldine's Reverie' explores what it means to me to be an artist – that is, the freedom of expression that we all have as children as we play, sing, dance, create stories and explore the world with no preconceived notions and no fear of judgement. Check it out if you're on Broadway in Albany! See photos of the mural in progress here! |
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Book Extras... Want to learn more about the book One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia? Check out oneplasticbag.com for teacher resources, links and more. You can even buy the recycled plastic purses from the book! |
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Panel Discussion and Exhibit I am thrilled to be participating in a panel discussing how children's books can convey meaningful stories and essential knowledge to the citizens of the future.Turning the Page on Change is an exhibit featuring children's books from across the globe (including Through Sand and Salt: A Tale of Discovery Across the Sahara!) whose themes engage with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals as set out in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Please register here by February 19 for the panel discussion and opening reception! Tuesday, February 24, 2026 from 5:30-8pm at the United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY. |
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Art Exhibit I am honored to be exhibiting some book illustrations alongside my fellow local Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators artists! This exhibition of picture book art runs from February 3-26. Please join us and register here for the opening reception: Saturday, February 21, 2026 from 2-4pm at the William K. Sanford Town Library, Loudonville, NY. |
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Art Exhibit Please join me for First Friday on a Sunday; an art and music celebration where I'll be displaying my artwork and selling books with fellow artist and illustrator Marcus Kwame Anderson! Sunday, December 14, 2025 from 2:30-5pm at the First Presbyterian Church of Albany, Albany, NY. See you there! |
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Art Exhibit I'm honored to be a part of For Liberation and For Life: The Legacy of Black Dimensions in Art: a 50th anniversary celebration of Black Dimensions in Art, Inc., featuring the works of more that 60 artists. My pieces are two book illustrations! On view August 23, 2025 - December 31, 2025 at the Albany Institute of History & Art, Albany, NY. Please come check out this amazing show! |
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Talk and Book Signing Join me for a talk and book signing of Stitch by Stitch: Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly Sews Her Way to Freedom by Connie Schofield-Morrison and Martha and the Slave Catchers by Harriet Hyman Alonso. I'll be sharing my research process and artistic experiments behind the art for these books... there will be show-and-tell! Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 2pm at the Ten Broeck Mansion, Albany, NY. Free! RSVP here. |
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Story-time Join me for a book reading of My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden's Childhood Journey by Jeanne Walker Harvey, in celebration of the art exhibition For Liberation and For Life: The Legacy of Black Dimensions in Art, then check out Romare Bearden's amazing artwork (and countless others) in the show! Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at 11am in the 2nd floor galleries at the Albany Institute of History & Art, Albany, NY. Free! |
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Book Festival Come join me and your favorite children's book authors and illustrators at the Rochester Children and Teens Book Festival! There will be special presentations and book readings throughout the day. I'll be reading Through Sand and Salt: A Tale of Discovery Across the Sahara at 11:05am in the Read To Me Corner! Saturday, November 8, 2025 from 10am- 4pm at Monroe Community College,Rochester, NY. Free! |
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Art Exhibit I was honored to be a part of Compass Roses: Maps by Artists - Albany: an exhibition of maps as interpreted by visual, literary, and performing artists... My map is an embroidered Dutch tulip on an Ivorian burlap cacao sack! On view September 2, 2025 - October 11, 2025 at Opalka Gallery at Russell Sage College, Albany, NY. |
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Book Signing I'll be signing my two newest books; Through Sand and Salt: A Tale of Discovery Across the Sahara, and Kente for Jojo by Bernard Mensah, at The Open Door Bookstore & Gift Gallery. Come stop by! Sunday, June 22 from 11am- 12:30pm at The Open Door Bookstore & Gift Gallery, Schenectady, NY. |
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Book Festival I'll be at the 14th Annual Hudson Children's Book Festival this Spring! Come see me at Booth #64 and say Hi ! Saturday, May 3, 2025 from 10am - 3pm at Columbia-Greene Community College, Hudson, NY. Free! |
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Book Signing Please join me for story-time, snacks and a book signing of Through Sand and Salt: A Tale of Discovery Across the Sahara! Saturday, April 19, 2025 from 3pm - 5pm at the Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, NY. |
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Literature Workshop I'll be sharing Through Sand and Salt: A Tale of Discovery Across the Sahara at the 10th annual Howard/Georgetown University Children and Youth Literature Workshop for Teachers. Come join us! Friday, April 11, 2025 from 10am - 2:30pm, Room 212: Miner Building, Howard University, Washington, DC. Free! |
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Youth Art Workshop Join me for an "Art.Work.Space." workshop for young artists as we use sand, salt, paint, water and paper to create our own desert-inspired landscapes! Saturday, February 8, 2025, from 12pm - 3pm at Albany Center Gallery. Free! Ages 13-18. Registration is required. Please register here by Thursday, 2/6. |
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Book Launch Party Come join me to celebrate my twentieth children's book (my second authored-illustrated book!), Through Sand and Salt: A Tale of Discovery Across the Sahara, at Albany Center Gallery... We'll have snacks, story-time, and books will be available for sale. See you there! Saturday, February 1, 2025, from 3pm - 5pm at Albany Center Gallery. Free! |
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Book Awards Join me and author Alison Goldberg as we celebrate BOTTLE TOPS: The Art of El Anatsui at the Children's Africana Book Awards Ceremony and Festival. There will be book signings, Q&A sessions and book themed art activities featuring CABA 2023 Honor and Award book authors and illustrators! Saturday, October 14, 2023 from 11am-3pm at the Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library, Howard University, Washington, DC. This is a free family-friendly event. Please RSVP here. |
