Make A Way Media and author Deedee Cummings! Deedee is the author of 15 children’s books including the new Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess 5-book series.
Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess is a heartwarming story about family, role models, dreams, and discovering a determination for growth. This five-part diverse picture book series shines the spotlight on a little brown girl who loves musical theatre and never lets anything get in the way of her dreams. It seems that everyone else has an idea for who she should be, but in the end, she discovers that she is the one who gets to decide.
The ongoing story also reveals the incredibly special family dynamic that Kayla shares with her mom- a hard-working woman who struggles with the guilt of not being as available for her young daughter as she would like. But as the story progresses, Kayla and her mom realize the impact of valuing the time they have together as well as the importance of seeing each other acknowledge (and pursue) their individual dreams.
Written by veteran author, Deedee Cummings, the Kayla: Modern-Day Princess series is inspired by her own real-life princess and Broadway actress, Kayla Pecchioni. This #OwnVoices project is a five-part series set for Rapid Release in the spring and summer of 2021. Following the picture series will be a middle-grade series and a script to continue to tell the story of this dynamic and necessary character.
For company details, to see other MAWM diverse book titles, and to learn more about all of the Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess books, go here.
Publisher Spotlight aims to be a key discovery spot for books by international and independent publishers. With more than three decades in the book industry, our marketing ranges from the independent bookseller world, to library collection developers and programmers, to pitching and promoting to national book review journals and important influencers. Myrick Marketing & Media is uniquely positioned to target niche markets in ways that maximize both sales and visibility. Located just outside Nashville, Tennessee, we are also strategically close to Ingram, one of the world’s largest book wholesalers.
Language Lizard is a leading provider of bilingual children’s books and resources in over 60 languages to support educators, libraries, families, and literacy organizations. Our resources help develop literacy skills among language learners, build inclusive classrooms, and celebrate cultural diversity.
Our extensive catalog ranges from board books to those suited to the older language learner. Many of our books, including our Premium Collection, come with free lesson plans, activities, and English audio. We also feature the popular PENpal Audio Recorder Pen, a teacher’s manual, multilingual posters, bilingual dictionaries, and more!
Our bilingual books are available in English and the following languages at www.LanguageLizard.com:
Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Bengali, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cherokee, Chinese (Mandarin & Cantonese), Croatian, Czech, Dari, Dutch, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Hmong, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Karen, Kinyarwanda, Korean, Kurdish, Kurmanji Kurdish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malay, Malayalam, Nepali, Norwegian, Oromo, Panjabi, Pashto, Patois, Persian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian & Continental), Romanian, Russian, Scottish Gaelic, Shona, Slovakian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Tigrinya, Turkish, Twi, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Welsh, Yiddish, and Yoruba.
Connect with Language Lizard via their Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.
Lerner Publishing Group creates the highest-quality nonfiction and fiction content for children and young adults in a variety of subjects and formats. Based in Minneapolis since its founding in 1959, Lerner Publishing Group is one of the nation’s largest independent children’s book publishers with thirteen imprints.
Connect with Lerner Publishing Group via their website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.
The Children’s Book Council (CBC) is the nonprofit trade association of children’s book publishers in North America, dedicated to promoting children’s books and reading. They are dedicated to supporting the children’s publishing industry through programming that connects and educates publishing professionals, advocates for a more inclusive industry, and shines a light on the books, creators, and resources available for young readers.
Connect with CBC via their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Barefoot Books creates picture books, activity decks, board books, animated singalongs and educational content for children aged 0-12, covering themes including early learning & concept building, social-emotional learning, global awareness, health & wellness, and sustainability & STEAM. Their popular singalong videos available on YouTube have garnered nearly half a billion views. Barefoot’s proudest accomplishment is to have put over 30 million books into the hands of children around the world, INCLUDING:
In this tale set in the ancient Inka (sometimes spelled Inca) empire, Little Chaski has a big job: he is the Inka King’s newest royal messenger. On his first day delivering messages he stops to help several creatures in need along the way, causing him to nearly miss his sunset deadline. But the kindness he bestowed on these animals winds up helping him in surprising ways. Descriptive language and bold illustrations give readers insight into Little Chaski’s nervousness and excitement as he runs the Inka Trail, working earnestly to fulfill the responsibilities of his new role.
During her town’s Ganesha Chaturthi festival, young Prema comes up with an innovative plan to save the river from pollution. Persevering through multiple obstacles, she convinces her friends to help her create natural clay Ganesha statues to replace the plaster ones that harm the river when they dissolve. Created by an author and artist from different parts of India and set in modern-day India, this inclusive tale of activism, ingenuity and sustainability is sure to inspire young readers. Endnotes include information about Ganesha Chaturthi, a recipe for homemade sculpting dough and instructions for making an earth-friendly statue.
Selam! It’s a beautiful day in Ethiopia with Babi (Daddy). Have a breakfast of spicy chechebsa together, ride horses in the park and gather around the mesob for dinner. Ethiopian author Fitsum Tesfaye Habtemariam and illustrator Netsanet Tesfay draw on their personal experiences of life in Ethiopia to create this sweet board book as part of the Our World series for very young readers.
Browse their catalog of beautiful and diverse books HERE.
Connect with Barefoot Books via their website, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.
Astra Books for Young Readers creates children’s books of the highest quality!
Their imprints are Astra Young Readers, Calkins Creek, Hippo Park, Kane Press, mineditionUS, Toon Books, and Wordsong.
Connect with them on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Red Comet Press is a small independent children’s publisher providing a home for talented creators who seek a boutique experience and the personal touch of a passionate publisher.
My Book and Me is a celebration of books and reading from Newbery medal winner Linda Sue Park and illustrated by two-time Caldecott medal winner, Chris Raschka. My Book and Me invites us to reflect on beloved books which are friends we hold dear; books we read over and again; books that may take us to places afar to experience the world in different ways, and books that comfort and reassure us. This jubilant paean to literature is a celebration of our favorite authors, characters, and stories; those that we cherish the most and are friends for life . . . which books are your favorite?
Follow Red Comet Press on their website or on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers began in 1995 as an imprint of Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, an independent, family-owned publisher in business since 1911. The company publishes board books, picture books, novels, nonfiction and religious titles for children and young adults.
Connect with them on their website or on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.
Dr. Valerie Williams-Sanchez is the creator of the self-published children’s book series, the Cocoa Kids Collection® and a passionate advocate for multicultural literature, self-publishing, and empowerment literacy for readers of all ages. She is Mom to Lorena, Auntie to Isaiah, and teacher to countless at-risk and special needs kids. With a PhD in literacy and degrees in journalism and literature, Dr. Valerie focuses her work, writing, and research on cultural, education/reading, and health literacies.
Picture books in the Cocoa Kids Collection include:
Isaiah and the Chocolate Mountain© features Isaiah, a precocious 6-year-old, who gets the thing he loathes – chocolate – for his birthday. His anger leads to adventure and a lesson in making choices and emotional intelligence.
Eddie and the Hot Cocoa Hot Rod© introduces Eddie, a spirited 7-year-old, whose daydreams of auto-racing get him into trouble at school. Despite his struggles in math class, his racing heroes and a special math teacher help him make the grade and learn to never give up.
Lorena and the Magic Mocha Mirror©, follows Lorena, a bubbly and friendly 8-year-old, who spends summers seaside with her family and is body-shamed by beach bullies until a trio of mermaids teaches her that everybody is beautiful.
Connect with Valerie and the Cocoa Kids on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Established in 1991, LEE & LOW BOOKS INC. is the largest children’s book publisher in the United States specializing in diversity and has been a leader in the movement for greater representation in children’s publishing for over 30 years. The family-run, independent, and certified 100% Minority Owned Business Enterprise (MBE) produces high-quality books for every age, that are truly “about everyone – for everyone” under the imprints Bebop Books, Children’s Book Press, Cinco Puntos Press, Lee & Low Books, Shen’s Books, and Tu Books. Learn more at www.leeandlow.com.
Cardinal Rule Press leads the way in providing messages that empower families, schools and communities through inspirational children’s books and educational programs and events that support our books’ powerful themes.
We are a traditional publishing company located in southeast Michigan that produces a select number of books each year; all of which make a difference in the world while reflecting modern-day diversity.
Why do over 4 million children, parents and teachers love our books?
· Heartfelt, realistic stories that boost social and emotional learning while entertaining young readers.
· Inclusive and diverse books that teach valuable lessons and focus on positive character traits.
· FREE supplemental discussion questions and activity tips that deepen understanding and make learning interactive (available for download on our website).
Discover Cardinal Rule Press at cardinalrulepress.com.
CK (they/them) is super proud of being a Bigender (technically born Intersex) Neurodiverse kidlit author and MTSS teacher at the secondary level. When not helping students or writing, they’re busy helping design culturally and LGBTQIA+ responsive units for the district or coaching and advising through alignment with the Genders and Sexualities Alliance Network. They also enjoy speaking, teaching, cooking, singing, learning the language of their grandmother, playing music, and shooting hoops with students.
Connect with them on their website or on Facebook and Twitter.
Tonya Duncan Ellis is the award-winning author of the Sophie Washington children’s chapter book series; multicultural kid’s books that entertain, educate, and inspire, and They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston’s Emancipation Park (HarperCollins, May 2024). The Sophie Washington series presents modern-day middle school issues like dealing with bullies, managing social media and video games, fitting in, and handling peer pressure and that first crush, with a Texas twist. Sophie, her family, and her diverse group of friends live in the suburbs of Houston, and experience hurricanes, alligators in their neighborhood, rodeo muttin’ bustin,’ and wild boar, opening up an exciting new world to readers. Each book teaches valuable lessons about friendship, responsibility, and being truthful that children of all ages and backgrounds can relate to. Also available in ebook and audiobook forms, this series is best for ages 8-12.
Author, Illustrator, Educator
Anita Crawford Clark is a writer and illustrator of fiction and nonfiction books for children. Anita grew up chasing butterflies and fishing crawdads from a nearby creek during scorching Sacramento summers. Her stories and illustrations often reflect those memorable childhood years. Anita is an inaugural recipient of the SCBWI OMA (Out from the Margins) Award for her manuscript of debut picture book, OLD TO JOY , which released on September 5, 2023. A veteran K-12 teacher, Anita especially enjoys directing musical theatre productions. The athlete in Anita enjoys shooting hoops. The musician in her enjoys playing the drums, piano, and banjo. Anita draws inspiration from her faith, nature, music, history, and everyday life. You can connect with Anita on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, or visit her website.
Star Bright Books is an independent children’s book publisher established in 1994. We are dedicated to producing high-quality books that are sensitive to the needs of all children. Our high-quality picture books, board books, and chapter books have received numerous honors from national and international literacy organizations.
We believe all children should see themselves in print and make a concerted effort to include children of all colors, ethnicities, nationalities, and abilities in our books. Star Bright Books also believes that children should hear books in their mother tongues, and thus publishes books in 33 languages: Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Navajo, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Portuguese, and more!
Star Bright Books’s catalog of diverse, inclusive, and multicultural children’s books features dazzling picture books such as Leaves to My Knees, 21 Cousins, The Big Day, Layla’s Head Scarf, I Have Cerebral Palsy, and Alicia’s Happy Day; illustrated and photographic board books including Banana for Two, Cradle Me, Twinkle, Twinkle, Diaper You!, Big Box for Ben, and My Face Book; and captivating chapter books like Books and Bricks: How a School Rebuilt the Community and Lonek’s Journey. Several picture books and board books are available in bilingual and non-English editions.
Visit Star Bright Books on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.
Blue Dot Kids Press inspires curiosity with beautifully crafted stories that connect us to each other and the planet we share. Written and illustrated by impassioned storytellers and artists from around the world, our books engage young readers’ innate sense of wonder and empathy, connecting them to our global community and the pale blue dot we call home. Across languages and across borders, stories are magic. Storytelling connects us to each other and to who we are. Our innate appreciation for story is part of what makes us human. In the hands of a child, a book is a portal to infinite possibility. When a beautifully crafted story engages a child’s natural curiosity, their world expands, as does their sense of self. In this way, a colorful stack of books carried home from the library or bookstore creates ripples of connection and inquiry. Blue Dot Kids Press believes that business can be a force for good not only in content but also in creation. We prioritize sustainability in everything we do: books are printed with vegetable inks on responsibly sourced paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council™. From the sale of every book, we donate to environmental causes through our membership with 1% for the Planet. Through our annual Earth Day Initiative with our partner One Tree Planted, readers have the opportunity to plant trees—over 1,500 trees planted to date!
Connect with Blue Dot Kids Press on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Brunella Costagliola is an award-winning author, best-selling editor, and translator. Raised in Bacoli, a small coastal town west of Naples, Southern Italy, Brunella is passionate about sharing her home country’s culture, traditions, and history through her stories. A cultural accuracy reader, Brunella believes in the importance of representation in children’s books, as well as in championing diversity through the written word. Founder and owner of The Military Editor®Agency, LLC, a ghostwriting and editing agency catering to military authors and military-related manuscripts, Brunella helps fellow writers tell their stories and achieve their publishing dreams. A proud Mamma of her two Italian American children, who are an endless source of inspiration for her stories, and devoted Air Force wife to her now-retired husband, Brunella lives in Florida with her family and their three dogs.
Redfin is a technology-powered real estate company. We help people find a place to live with brokerage, rentals, lending, title insurance, and renovations services. We sell homes for more money and charge half the fee. We also run the country’s #1 real estate brokerage site. Our home-buying customers see homes first with on-demand tours, and our lending and title services help them close quickly. Customers selling a home can have our renovations crew fix up their home to sell for top dollar. Our rentals business empowers millions nationwide to find apartments and houses for rent. Since launching in 2006, we’ve saved customers more than $1 billion in commissions. We serve more than 100 markets across the U.S. and Canada and employ over 5,000 people.
Fabled Films Press LLC is creating original content for young readers and middle-grade audiences that combines strong literary properties with high quality production values to connect books with generations of parents and their children. Each book series is supported by websites, educator guides and activities for bookstores, educators, and librarians, as well as videos, social media content and supplemental entertainment for additional platforms.
Connect with them via their website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.
