Ooops! A teen's booklet when starting her period

Dr. Chu Chu Onwuachi-Saunders, a pediatrician, and Marie Onwuachi, a public health consultant, have created Ooops!, a 64-page softcover book appropriate for young girls who have started their menstruation. Ooops! tales the story of 11-year old twins Kehinde and Taiwo who start their periods within days of each other. Nana tells the girls this is their special time - time to be princesses. It's a sweet story of how the girls come to accept and embrace this time of the month. The book includes a monthly calendar to keep track on when one's period starts as well as journal pages and stickers. The Ooops! book retails for $6.99 on Amazon. Or, you can visit Ooops Book website by clicking here. Enjoy!

Barack Obama A Hip Hop Tale of King's Dream Come True

Caroline Brewer's Barack Obama A Hip Hop Tale of King's Dream Come True is a must have! The rhyming tale is of Obama's decision to run for President of the United States. Even a year after his inauguration, this book is still fresh and relevant. The text is humorous and fast-flowing. The 32-page full color book is illustrated by Glenn Brewer.

Caroline Brewer is the author of 12 books and an education consultant. She hosts the blog, Unchained Spirits, and organizes reading and seminars for teachers and librarians.

You can hear Caroline read from A Hip Hop Tale on this YouTube video - click here. Enjoy the video and the book!

Kim Whitfield-Holt - illustrator and animator

Just stumbled up the blog "Kim's Collection of Stuff" by illustrator and animator Kim Whitfield-Holt. If you have a moment, do check it out. The style is contemporary, fresh, and ... happy! I laughed at bare legs illustration on her blog titled Cactus. What do you think - can't you see her work in a children's book? Enjoy!

Visit Jenny's Wonderland of Books Blog

Rare books librarian and specialist in the history of children's literature Jenny Schwartzberg blogs about Gwendolyn Brooks' books for kids: The Tiger Who Wore White Gloves or What You Are You Are (Chicago: Third World Press, 1974) and Bronzeville Boys and Girls. Check it out!

Adjoa J. Burrowes - Author, Illustrator, Blogger

Illustrator and author Adjoa J. Burrowers is blogging on the website "Big Universe," dedicated to promoting children's literature online. You can read her blog posts on Big Universe by clicking here. Adoja has illustrated 17 picture books, including the popular Grandma's Purple Flowers. I had the pleasure of catching up with Adjoa recently as we both participated in reading our books at the Nineteenth National African American Read-In at the the Sherwood Regional Library in Alexandria, Virginia. She is a wonderful spirit! Enjoy!

Carla R. Sarratt - Teen Lit Author, Self-Publisher

Carla R. Sarratt, author of Freshman Focus: Carter G. Woodson High School, is blogging about her self-publishing experience on her blog, Keeping Up with Carla. Good stuff!

28 Days Later - The Brown Bookshelf

By now I'm sure you've heard about The Brown Bookshelf - the collective efforts of African American authors and illustrators Paula Chase Hyman,
Varian Johnson, Don Tate, Kelly Starling Lyons , and Carla Sarratt to "[showcase] the best and brightest voices in African-American Children’s Literature, with a special emphasis on new authors and books that are “flying under the radar.”

One of the collective's projects is called "Twenty Eight Days Later" and will highlight 28 different African American children's and YA authors and illustrators during Black History Month. The list of 28 will be announced on January 15. Don Tate designed the poster at left. Do visit the Brown Bookshelf blog - and come back on Jan 15 for the announcement! Enjoy!

Only 87 - What other Bloggers are Saying

As mentioned last week, the Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) at the University of Wisconsin, Madison recently announced that an estimated 87 children's books by African American authors were published in 2006 out of an estimated 5,000 children's books published.

Check out what other Bloggers are saying about this:

• Don Tate II shares his thoughts and blames me for encouraging his picture book buying habit.
• South African children's book author, Damaria Senne, wonders what the number of Black South African kid's lit authors might be. One comment mentioned that the South African Children’s Book Forum might be looking into this statistic.

Damaria Senne - Storypot blog

If you have a moment, check out South African journalist and children's book author Damaria Senne's blog StoryPot! http://damariasenne.blogspot.com/