Skip to content
Pragmatic Mom
Menu
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Policies
    • Media Kit
    • Privacy Policy
    • Copyright
    • KidLit Blogroll
  • My Book Lists
    • My List of Lists
    • Multicultural Books for Children: 60+ Book Lists
    • #OwnVoices
    • Summer Reading Lists for Middle School Kids
    • Asian American Children’s Books
    • African American Children’s Books
    • Arab American Children’s Books
    • Latinx American Children’s Books
    • Native American Children’s Books
    • LGBTQIA+ Children’s Books
    • Diverse Books for Kids
    • Best Books for Kids
  • Education
    • STEM/STEAM
    • Math
    • Social Studies
    • Art Projects for Kids
    • Applying to Art School
    • Applying to College
    • Book Club for Kids
    • 70+ Free Educational Games
  • Controversial
    • Sexual Misconduct in Children’s Book Publishing #MeToo #TimesUp
    • Rethinking & Examining Dr. Seuss’ Racism
    • Blood Feud over YA #BloodHeir
    • Tulsa Race Massacre: What They Don’t Teach You in History Books
    • The Chinese Exclusion Act – What They Don’t Teach in History Books
    • Segregation in California Schools: What They Don’t Teach in History Books
    • SCBWI Minnesota Racist Illustration and Gaslighting Response
  • My Books
    • My Book Announcements
    • We Sing From the Heart wins Julia Ward Howe prize for children’s literature!
    • WE SING FROM THE HEART is Carter G. Woodson Book Award Honoree!
    • We Sing From the Heart makes Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year 2025!
    • The Traveling Taco on Reading Rockets’ Summer Reading Guide 2025!
    • The Traveling Taco featured in Booklist
    • Origami French Fries: Activity for THE TRAVELING TACO
    • Book Announcement: A Place to Call Home! {and a new title …}
    • FOOD FOR THE FUTURE makes Sunshine State Young Readers Award Orange Blossom List for Nonfiction!
    • Cover Reveal of my latest picture book … FORTUNE COOKIES FOR EVERYONE!
    • Picture Book Announcement! BARBED WIRE BETWEEN US, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación
    • We Sing From the Heart gets a few stickers!
    • Book Announcement! Postcards from Malcolm X: How Yuri Kochiyama Became a Civil Rights Activist
    • Kirkus Reviews My Newest Picture Book: THE TRAVELING TACO
    • We Sing From the Heart is a Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner!
    • We Sing From the Heart gets a few stickers!
    • WE SING FROM THE HEART wins California Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Award
    • WE SING FROM THE HEART is Orbis Pictus Recommended Book
    • WE SING FROM THE HEART is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
    • Dorktales Podcast: Simon Tam, Hidden Hero of History
    • Food for the Future Wins Nautilus Silver Book Award
    • Food for the Future makes Mass Book Award Long List!
    • FOOD FOR THE FUTURE Makes Green Earth Book Award Long List!
    • Food for the Future is a finalist for 2023 INDIES Book of the Year!
    • New! Food for the Future Activity and Discussion Guide!
    • FOOD FOR THE FUTURE is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection!
    • ‘Food for the Future’ selected for Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best books
    • Scholastic Purchased CHANGING THE GAME!
    • Starred Review for FOOD FOR THE FUTURE from School Library Journal!
    • Sumo Joe makes Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year list!
    • How To Coach Girls wins Silver Award!
    • Posts on My Books
  • My Book Events
    • My Book Events
Menu
25 Diversity Authors & Illustrators Spotlighted!

24 Diverse Authors & Illustrators Spotlighted!

Posted on December 12, 2014May 15, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

To kick off our Author and Illustrator interviews at the Multicultural Children’s Book Day blog, we interviewed Joseph Bruchac …

 followed by Jacqueline Woodson! (and stay tuned for Margarita Engle, Lisa Yee, and Cynthia Kadohata!)

 

Coming in January — Multicultural Children’s Book Day Spotlight: Shining the Light on Inclusive Authors & Illustrators!

multicultural children's book day January 27 2015

From January 1st through the 25th, the Multicultural Children’s Book Day blog — in collaboration with the Children’s Book Council — will feature interviews with 25 inclusive authors and illustrators, giving you a behind-the-scenes peek at their creative processes.

Children's Book Council

Please welcome (in alphabetical order):

Tracey Baptiste was born in Trinidad, where she grew up on jumbie stories and fairy tales. Her debut, a young adult novel titled Angel’s Grace, was named one of the 100 best books for reading and sharing by New York City librarians. Tracey is a former teacher, textbook editor, ballerina, and amateur librarian who once started up a library in her house in the hope that everyone would bring their books back late and she would be rich! You know, like other librarians. She is now a wife and mom and lives in New Jersey, where she writes and edits books for kids from a very cozy office in her house that is filled with more toys than she can count. The Jumbies is her second novel. Her interview is here.

Kathleen Benson is the co-author of many picture books, including John Lewis in the Lead, which was illustrated by Benny Andrews. She lives in New York, New York.

Tonya Bolden’s work has garnered many accolades, including the Coretta Scott King Honor Award, James Madison Book Award, School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, YALSA Best Book of the Year, and CCBC Best Book of the Year. She lives in New York City. Her interview is here.

Tricia Brown is an author, editor, and book developer. She travels often and is a popular speaker in schools, libraries, and events in Alaska as well as the Lower 48. Her multimedia presentations, which include lessons on Alaska’s natural history and culture, regularly receive high praise from educators and parents. She loves to get kids excited about reading, writing, and art. Her interview here.

JaNay Brown-Wood dreams big. Ever since she was a little girl, she’s wanted to become a published author. Her determination has paid off. Imani’s Moon is her first book for children. JaNay is also a professor of early childhood education. She lives in California. Her interview here.

Andrea Cheng is the daughter of Hungarian immigrants. She writes picture books and middle grade and young adult novels and also teaches English as a Second Language and children’s literature. She walks daily near her Ohio home. She writes the Anna Wang series (The Year of the Three Sisters). Her interview is here.

Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome are a husband-wife team who have collaborated on many award-winning picture books for children. These include Satchel Paige, which was an ALA Best Book for Children and a Booklist Top Ten Sports Book for Youth, and Words Set Me Free: The Story of Young Frederick Douglass, which received starred reviews in Booklist and School Library Journal. The Quilt Alphabet was praised as “a blue-ribbon ABC book that combines bright, folksy oil paintings and lilting riddle-poems” in a starred review in Publishers Weekly and called “a feast for the eyes” in School Library Journal. Her interview is here.

Kris Dinnison has spent nearly two decades as a teacher and librarian. Nowadays, she helps run the retail and café businesses she owns with her husband, hikes and spins classic vinyl. This is her debut YA novel. She lives in Spokane, Washington. Her interview is here.

Sharon M. Draper is a New York Times bestselling author who has received the Coretta Scott King Award for both Copper Sun and Forged by Fire. Her Out of My Mind has won multiple awards and has been a New York Times bestseller for more than a year. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she taught high school English for twenty-five years and was named National Teacher of the Year. Her interview here.

Karen English is a Coretta Scott King Honor Award-winning author who lives in Los Angeles, California. Her books have been praised for their accessible writing, authentic characters, and satisfying storylines. Karen is a retired elementary school teacher, and she wrote these stories with her students in mind. Her interview is here.

Desirae Foston is a designer and artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Her interview here.

Rachel Isadora received a Caldecott Honor for Ben’s Trumpet and has written and illustrated numerous other books for children, including Bea at Ballet, Jake at Gymnastics, Say Hello!, Peekaboo Bedtime, the Lili at Ballet series, and several classic tales set in Africa (including Old Mikamba Had a Farm, There was a Tree, The Night Before Christmas, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, and The Princess and the Pea). She lives in New York City.

Kekla Magoon is an award-winning author of many young adult novels, including The Rock and the River, for which she received the 2010 Coretta Scott King–John Steptoe Award for New Talent. Kekla Magoon lives in New York City. Her interview is here.

Meg Medina is the author of The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind and the picture book Tía Isa Wants a Car, illustrated by Claudio Muñoz, which won the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award. Her most recent young adult novel, Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, is the winner of the 2014 Pura Belpré Author Award. The daughter of Cuban immigrants, she grew up in Queens, New York, and now lives in Richmond, Virginia. Her interview here.

Jason Reynolds is crazy. About stories.  After earning a BA in English from The University of Maryland, College Park, he moved to Brooklyn, New York, where you can often find him walking the four blocks from the train to his apartment talking to himself. Well, not really talking to himself, but just repeating character names and plot lines he thought of on the train, over and over again, because he’s afraid he’ll forget it all before he gets home. He is the author of the critically acclaimed When I Was the Greatest and The Boy in the Black Suit.

Kashmira Sheth was four years old at the first Indian wedding she remembers, and she still cherishes the memory of the festivities in her grandparents’ house. Since then she has attended many weddings but, unlike Sona, has never successfully stolen a groom’s shoes. She is the author of many acclaimed books, including Tiger in My Soup, My Dadima Wears a Sari, and Monsoon Afternoon. Sheth teaches at Pine Manor College, in their Solstice MFA in Creative Writing Program. Her interview is here.

Conrad J. Storad is an award-winning author and editor of more than 50 science and nature books for children, Conrad J. Storad is committed to helping students better understand and appreciate the natural world. Conrad visits many schools to teach and entertain children and is now approaching his visit with his millionth student. In 2006, Don’t Call Me Pig! (A Javelina Story) was selected by Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano to promote reading, and more than 93,000 first-graders received a special edition copy. In 2012, Storad’s Arizona Way Out West & Witty, coauthored with Lynda Exley, was selected to represent Arizona as part of the “52 Great Reads” program run annually at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. His interview here.

Eric Velasquez was born in Spanish Harlem in New York City. The awards he has won include a Pura Belpré and the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award. He lives in New York State with his family. His interview is here.

Laura Rose Wagner has a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She lived in Port-au-Prince from 2009 to 2012 and survived the earthquake. She travels to Haiti often and founded a creative writing group for young people there. Her interview is here.

Brenda Woods was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, raised in southern California, and attended California State University, Northridge. She is the award-winning author of several books for young readers: Coretta Scott King Honor winner The Red Rose Box, The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond, Saint Louis Armstrong Beach, Voya Top Shelf Fiction selection Emako Blue, My Name is Sally Little Song and A Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her numerous awards and honors include the Judy Lopez Memorial Award, FOCAL award, Pen Center USA’s Literary Award finalist, IRA Children’s Choice Young Adult Fiction Award, and ALA Quick Pick. She lives in the Los Angeles area.

Natasha Yim was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. At ten, her family moved to Hong Kong, where Natasha attended a very Harry Potter-esque secondary school. This is where she was turned on to writing. She moved to the United States to attend college where she studied Psychology and English Literature. Natasha is the author of Sacajawea of the Shoshone, Cixi: “The Dragon Empress”, and Otto’s Rainy Day. She lives in Ukiah, California. Her interview here.

 

What other inclusive authors and illustrators do you want us to interview? Please name them in the comments and we will contact them for our Multicultural Children’s Book Day blog! We plan on highlighting diverse authors and illustrators all year long!

And please stay tuned for these interviews coming up in January! Thank you!

To examine any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.

25 diversity authors and illustrators highlighted

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

p.s. Related Posts:

Sign Up for Multicultural Children’s Book Day

Raising Money for First Book at Multicultural Children’s Book Day … We Need Your Help!

 

Follow PragmaticMom’s board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.

Follow PragmaticMom’s board Children’s Book Activities on Pinterest.

 

My books:

We Sing From the Heart picture book cover reveal of The Slants Simon Tam

 Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Cover Reveal: Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime!Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng

Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World

  • Junior Library Guild Gold selection
  • Massachusetts Book Award Long List
  • Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
  • Starred review from School Library Journal
  • Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
  • 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
  • Green Earth Book Award Long List
  • Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids

 Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me

cover for Sumo JoeChanging the Game: Asian Pacific American Female Athletes by Mia WenjenAmazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me

The Elusive Full Ride Scholarship: An Insider’s Guide

How To Coach Girls by Mia Wenjen and Alison FoleyAsian Pacific American Heroes

20 thoughts on “24 Diverse Authors & Illustrators Spotlighted!”

  1. Patricia Tilton says:
    December 12, 2014 at 3:43 pm

    This list of authors to be interviewed is impressive. Sharon Draper is one of my favorites, as are many others. This is going to be a really great month. Received the e-mail package for reviewers. You have put so much effort into this. Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      December 12, 2014 at 6:01 pm

      Hi Patricia,
      Thanks so much for joining us as a book reviewer! We are really excited for this year’s Multicultural Children’s Book Day and celebrating diversity books to read (and buy) all year!!!

      Reply
  2. Giora says:
    December 12, 2014 at 6:13 pm

    Great list. I’m waiting for your interview with Margarita Engle.

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      December 12, 2014 at 6:17 pm

      Hi Giora,
      I know, right?!! Me too! I am waiting for Silver People to arrive. I just ordered it. I’m going to base the Q and A around that book so hopefully I can make it in a week or so! She’s so amazing, isn’t she?!!! Anyone else you’d care to add? I’m jotting names down and will try to contact them.

      Reply
  3. maryanne @ mama smiles says:
    December 12, 2014 at 11:22 pm

    So many wonderful books featured here!

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      December 13, 2014 at 6:37 am

      Thanks MaryAnne,
      We are excited to share their interviews in January and spotlight their wonderful books!

      Reply
  4. Lindsey McDivitt says:
    December 15, 2014 at 9:31 pm

    Terrific list–thank you! I’d love to see Cynthia Leitich Smith and her lovely picture book “Jingle Dancer” featured.

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      December 21, 2014 at 8:56 pm

      Hi Lindsey,
      She’s on my list to ask!! I will try to line her up for 2015! Thanks for your great suggestion!!!

      Reply
  5. Lauren Tobia says:
    December 18, 2014 at 12:14 pm

    Great choice so far.. could I recommend Atinuke the author of “anna hibiscus” and “the number 1 car spotter” 😉

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      December 21, 2014 at 9:05 pm

      Hi Lauren,
      Atinuke is going on my list! I will track her down and ask her. Thanks so much for your great suggestion! I loved Anna Hibiscus!

      Reply
  6. Ann says:
    December 19, 2014 at 7:36 pm

    Looking forward to getting to know these authors!

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      December 21, 2014 at 10:02 pm

      Hi Ann,
      I’m so glad that you are interested in learning about diversity and inclusive authors and illustrators!!

      Reply
  7. Kelly A. Serrano says:
    December 22, 2014 at 1:00 am

    I am beyond thrilled to be part of this. There are so many great books out there yet they do not get the attention they deserve. Honestly, I am honored to be one of the reviewers.

    Kelly

    Ps. Out of my Mind is one of my favorite books.

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      January 8, 2015 at 5:36 pm

      Hi Kelly,
      We are so happy to have you join us. Thank you!! We love Out of My Mind too! Sharon Draper came to Newton to speak and she was wonderful!! I’m so thrilled to have her in our spotlight series!

      Reply
  8. Literate For Life says:
    January 24, 2015 at 10:07 pm

    Mia,

    Wow! Great list of author interviews and books. I like how you are passionate about diversified books for kids. Sharing about Multicultural Children’s Book Day. Came here via Kid Lit Blog Hop. 🙂
    Pamela Hall- Literate For Life

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      January 27, 2015 at 10:15 am

      Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you are able to check out the author interviews if you need more book ideas!!

      Reply
  9. Renee C. says:
    January 28, 2015 at 6:44 pm

    That is one impressive list! Thank you for being the driving force behind Multicultural Children’s Book Day – clearly it was another great success. Visiting from the Kid Lit Blog Hop. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      January 30, 2015 at 4:55 pm

      Hi Renee,
      Thanks so much! We really appreciate your support!

      Reply
  10. Tracey Baptiste says:
    February 9, 2015 at 7:24 am

    Thank you so much for including me in this awesome lineup!

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      February 9, 2015 at 2:51 pm

      Hi Tracey,
      We are thrilled to have you! Thanks so much for joining us for Multicultural Children’s Book Day!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Looking for something? Search here.

I’m Mia Wenjen!

Mia Wenjen Pragmatic Mom

Hi, I’m Mia Wenjen. Nice to meet you!

I blog excessively about diverse children’s books (picture books through middle grade). I am also the co-founder of Read Your World Celebrates Multicultural Children’s Book Day on Jan 25, 2024, our 11th year!

I’d love to chat with you. Let’s connect! PragmaticMomBlog (at) gmail (dot) com or through my social media handles.

Free Blog Updates in your Inbox (RSS feed)

Monthly Newsletter with Subscriber Only Giveaways in your Inbox

My Linktree (click for my links & socials)

my linktree

My Websites

  • How To Coach Girls
  • I Love Newton
  • Mia Wenjen (My New Author Website)

Camp Cody: Overnight Camp in New Hampshire

Read Your World LGBTQIA+ Books Save Lives Merch!

https://www.pragmaticmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Read-Your-World-FINAL-Merchandise-Video.mp4

Purchase Read Your World Merch

LGBTQIA+ Books Save Lives Merch.

Buy it here!

Search Amazon

Find Children's Books

Newton Children’s Book Festival 2025

Newton Children's Book Festival 2025

Get My Books Signed or Inscribed through my shop (click to purchase)

Mia Wenjen signed books

Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime! (click to purchase)

Cover Reveal: Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime!

We Sing From the Heart (click to pre-order)

We Sing From the Heart picture book cover reveal of The Slants Simon Tam

FOOD FOR THE FUTURE (click to purchase)

Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng

CHANGING THE GAME (click to purchase)

Changing the Game: Asian Pacific American Female Athletes by Mia Wenjen

SUMO JOE (click to purchase)

Sumo Joe cover reveal

Asian Pacific American Heroes (click to purchase)

Asian Pacific American Heroes by Mia Wenjen

GNOMES & UNGNOMES: Poems of Hidden Creatures // I have 3 haiku poems (click to purchase)

GNOMES & UNGNOMES: Poems of Hidden Creatures 3 haiku by Mia Wenjen
Read Your World is Multicultural Children's Book Day

ClothingRIC- A Premium Coupon Website!

ThingsFromMars- The Wondrous World of Wacky Gift Products!

How to Get Kids Reading

  • Multicultural Books for Children: 60+ Book Lists
  • Getting Kids to Love Reading
  • Summer Reading Lists for Kids By Grade
  • Summer Reading Lists for Middle School Kids

Heim Nest Kid Mattress Exclusive Deal

Heim Nest Kid Mattress

AdvancedWriters.com is an expert writing service which helps students with academic writing.

educational toys

CEX.IO is a versatile crypto exchange platform where users can buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrencies, as well as access resources and tools to learn how to trade effectively.

MyPaperDone.com
is surely one of the best when it comes to paper writing assistance.

My Custom Essay
will guide you through academic life.

Essay Writing Services

If you ask "write my essay", Topessaywriting can help you with paper writing

TranslationReport can help you to choose the best translation service

If you are looking for the most trusted essay writing service, check this article about best essay writing service reviews at Econotimes

educational toys from dhgate stores

Assignment Writing Services Offer Assignment Assistance In UK Based Company 50% Discount Students

Playing at online casinos can be an exciting and rewarding experience, and you can find the best options at casinoszondercruksonline.com. 

For those seeking a safe and reputable gambling experience, the Meest betrouwbare buitenlandse casino lijst is an invaluable resource.

Archives

Categories

The Elusive Full Ride Scholarship (click to purchase)

The Elusive Full Ride Scholarship: An Insider’s Guide

HOW TO COACH GIRLS (click to purchase)

How To Coach Girls silver award winner

Archives

I’ll be sharing WHAT I WISH I KNEW BEFORE I STARTED MY KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN

HOW TO COACH GIRLS book trailer by Mia Wenjen & Alison Foley

https://youtu.be/j74M0bBxrGg

Recent Posts

  • Read Your World Celebrates AAPI Heritage Month Virtual Event July 16, 2025
  • The Traveling Taco Unboxing! July 14, 2025
  • The 2026 PADIBA Awards are now open for submissions! July 11, 2025
  • We Sing From the Heart wins Julia Ward Howe prize for children’s literature! July 9, 2025
  • Changing the Game’s 4th Birthday & 4 Signed Book GIVEAWAY! July 7, 2025

Categories

© 2025 Pragmatic Mom | Powered by Superbs Personal Blog theme
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT