Author Spotlight, Podcast

Creating Diversity in Children’s Books

Quinn Cummings

Recorded Live on February 2, 2021

Author Spotlight – JQ Sirls

JQ Sirls is a creative leader working in product development, software development, publishing, and animation. With a passion for essentialist design and childlike imagination, JQ’s practice consists of merging both to bring youthfulness into serious works and simplicity into fanciful works.

He is the illustrator behind Angela C. Styles book ‘Hair’. His most recent release, ‘The Moon Is Following Me’, in which he authored and illustrated is a fun and whimsical tale of a little boy trying to convince his family that the moon is following him every night. Do they believe him? No. But that doesn’t stop him from humorously trying anyway.

In this episode, we honed in on creating diversity in children’s books.

Author Spotlight: JQ Sirls
Get the book: The Moon is Following Me

Amazon: https://amzn.to/36fLv44

Website – https://www.pocketale.com/
https://www.instagram.com/jqsirls

Key Takeaways

‘My driving purpose is to become a bridge between adults and children through story.’
JQ Sirls
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‘…it’s escaping this notion that every story that features a person of color has to be an oppressive narrative…’
JQ Sirls
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‘…if you have a story, that story deserves to come out. It needs to come out. Don’t be selfish and hold that story in. There is a child, a parent that needs to read it!’
JQ Sirls
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We need regular storylines for Black children. Magical stories that show us living life– not just dwelling in our struggle.
Quinn Cummings
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