Valerie Coleman, a publisher and author of the award-winning children’s book “When I See Me”, is working to improve representation in children's literature.
Her latest effort, the "When I See Me” Children’s BIPOC Book Fair, took place at the Dayton Metro Library to connect young readers to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) authors in children’s literature.
The fair, held at the West Branch of the Dayton Metro Library, featured 18 BIPOC authors from around the country, each with their own station. Children received a passport to visit each author and engage with them directly. For many attendees, it was a first-time experience meeting authors who resembled them.
Research indicates that children's literature has become far more diverse in the past decade. About 45% of children's books in 2022 had a nonwhite author, illustrator or compiler, up from 8% in 2014, according to the Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
But white boys and men remain overrepresented in the most influential children's stories, according to a study in the Quarterly Journal of Economics.
Coleman’s motivation for the event came from a personal experience.
“I was at one book event and a little girl ran to the table with me. ‘It’s me, it’s me.’ She had never seen a book with a person, her skin color," she said. "Her father had six kids. And he said, I can’t buy you a book. ‘I have to get a book for everybody.’”
This moment highlighted the need for access to inclusive literature. Coleman ensured every child who attended the fair received a free book.
West Dayton was selected as a prime location for the event.
“The three lowest school districts in all of Ohio are right here in Dayton. And the commonality is the Black and Brown babies, “ said Coleman. “So I wanted to keep it on our side of town where the babies who I’m trying to reach most reside.”
Shevelta Harding attended with her children.
“It was more educational, it was closer to home and my daughter loves to read," Harding said. “There’s not a lot of Black books out there, especially when they’re doing great things like farming, teaching them things that they’re probably not going to learn in school.”
Coleman points out that while more diverse stories are being published, there is still a need for books featuring BIPOC characters in everyday scenarios.
“They want books that show a father and a son having a good time at the ballpark. It doesn’t say that they’re African-American or they’re having an African-American experience. They’re just a father and son going to the ballpark,” she said.
Nyla Johnson, a 12-year-old author, was among the participants. Her series, The Nyla Chronicles, helps children with common fears.
Nyla said, “It’s about like firsts. So if children are scared to go to their first day of school, their first visit to the dentist, my stories can help them and know that it’s not that scary.”
Her mother, Tenita Johnson, who has published 24 books, supports Nyla’s book career.
“She has been my hardest client. Like she’s already a business owner at 12, so now she’s got to manage the business because the business will be hers when she’s grown,” Tenita said. “She can still sell the children’s books, and then when she has kids, she can sell them for her kids. If you see a gift, cultivate the gift. Pour into the gift. Don’t shun it away, but actually invest in it.
Jeri Stokes, an educator and author of Dear Aunt Daisy, shared her challenges in transitioning from teaching to publishing.
“I had not been in business before I became an author. So sales and things like that were things that I shied away from," Stokes said. "The whole idea of not just having a product for people to purchase, but to be able to market it, to get out on social media.”
The average author sells 250 books in their lifetime. But Valerie Coleman believes with the right strategy, BIPOC authors can benefit all readers.
“It is not just for Black and Brown babies,” said Coleman. “Everybody can benefit from these books because now you see the world from a different perspective.”
