Grateful to be included in the panel of inspirational women for an empowering conversation led by Sylvia Perez at Haute Mama Luncheon hosted by Mary Lansky! It was just what my soul needed! 💖 Special shout-out to fellow panelists: ✨Janet Mandell Showroom ✨Tarrah Cooper ✨Karen Herold

Signed copies of Stella spotted at Three Avenues Bookshop in Chicago! 📚✍🏽 Head on over and celebrate one of Chicago’s newest independent bookstores! ✨ 📍3009 N Southport Ave #bookspotting #shopindie #kidlit #picturebook #chicagoauthor #blackjoy #representationmatters

🤩📚 I am loving this book: #NellPlantsATree, by Anne Wynter & @danielmiyares! It's a beautiful story about the beginnings of a pecan tree planted & tended to by a young Nell & enjoyed by future generations. I highly recommend reading it with your kiddos if you haven't already!

#StellaKeepsTheSunUp is included on the "Kids Best of the Best: 2022" booklist by the Black Caucus ALA Inc which features 45 outstanding works of fiction & nonfiction for kids by Black authors📚🙌🏽Thanks, BCALA, for the recognition! And thanks Chicago Public Library for sharing! tinyurl.com/53et7z5p

I'm feeling inspired by today's #affirmation card from Intelligent Change (Five Minute Journal Creators)! 🌟 Staying focused can be hard work for me sometimes, but I'm doing my best, which also means cutting myself a bit of slack. Here's to trying to direct our energy toward the things that truly matter 💪🏽

🥰📖🙌🏽Grateful for the opportunity to do my last #schoolreading of the year w/ #NYPL at PS94 in the Bronx! Reading to budding authors & illustrators is truly one of the best parts of this journey. Thanks to NY Public Library & NYPL Center for Educators and Schools for making it happen! #kidlit #futurebestsellers

Stella is on the move! Thanks to @bookseller_e & all booksellers who boosted Stella w/ book placement! And shoutout to the readers who've spotted Stella out in the world & shared pics! We're looking good thanks to the stunning visuals from lynn gaines 😍

I saw this shirt & had to pick it up. I call it my #affirmation shirt. 🙌🏽 Truth is, some days I feel braver than others, & others not so much. But it's a journey & more than anything, I want to always be able to say that I'm trying my best🌟 What affirmations do you find helpful?

📚🔎🦷'Stella and the Mystery of the Missing Tooth' has found a cozy spot on the shelves at Barbara's Bookstore in Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, Illinois! If you're in the area, pls consider picking up a copy for your home library or for a little one in your life.🎉 #kidlit #bookspotted

Grateful for supportive family and friends, and those who've helped me as a children's book author. This affirmation from IntelligentChange says it all! I hope to be a light to them too. Thank you for believing in me! ❤️

Celebrating National Sunglasses Day in style with our Stella shades! ☀️😎🕶️#stellakeepsthesunup #sunglassesday #funinthesun #familytime #sunshinesmiles

Shout-out to the creators of @libstationbooks: Victoria Scott-Miller & Duane Miller! They created Liberation Station, the 1st Black-owned kids' bookshop in Raleigh, to celebrate diversity, empower young minds, & bring Black representation to the forefront of #kidlit🙌🏾📚🎉

I underestimated this #summerreading program. Both kids earn a pack of Pokémon for every 100 minutes read. Well let me tell you, the folks at Best Buy recognize me now & I'm thinking of changing the rules. On the bright side, the kids are enjoying themselves. 🌞📚 #parentingwin

Don't miss the Words of Wonders Literary Festival on the Southside of Chicago, July 29th! 📚✨ Join my Stella storytime with Markedia Alston, author of "The Boohoo Boohoo Bear," from 1:30 - 2:00 pm. Register for free here: eventbrite.com/e/2nd-annual-w…

Is it just me or does anyone else feel like some of these cards need a few extra words? "I KNOW I SHOULD" focus on... BUT sometimes it's hard. Still, I like the message to focus on what you can change. Faith in yourself makes it easier to find solutions. Have a great week! 😊

Thanks *play for featuring "Stella Keeps the Sun Up" in your gorgeous window display! As a longtime fan & customer, seeing my own book there means the world to me. Swing by *play for the perfect kid's book or toy! And thanks to all of you supporting #stellaspotting! 🎉

Thank you Syracuse Athletics Syracuse University for welcoming me and my family back home! #gocuse

In #StellaandRogerCantWaittoGrowUp, Stella can’t wait to turn seven! She and her best friend, Roger, agree seven-year-olds get to have much more fun. But the more grown-up you are, the more you can do, so maybe Stella will skip seven altogether and go straight to eight years old!

Thank you It’s Dee-LAN-oh! 👈🏽 🤷🏽‍♂️ and Axios for this piece: axios.com/2024/09/24/clo…

Thank you Block Club Chicago for helping share Stella’s origin story: blockclubchicago.org/2024/10/09/how…