Generation Hope

Generation Hope Authors

Story Behind the Story

As young parents, the authors of this book series know how important it is for our children to see themselves and their families affirmed and uplifted in the stories they read. Drawing on their experiences as teen parents, student parents, and working parents, they wrote the books they wanted their children to enjoy and learn from. 

During the summer of 2022, these mothers, all enrolled in Generation Hope’s Scholar program,  worked together in small groups of three to draft their stories, and each group was paired with a talented emerging illustrator of color to bring their stories to life. Many community partners also came together to aid in the thoughtful creation of these books. With the guidance of early childhood education experts from Inspired Child, authors worked to ensure their books would promote learning and development for 1-3 year olds. Through a memorable presentation from Teaching For Change, authors were inspired to promote diverse and authentic representation in books for our youngest readers. And finally, with support from talented story coaches from Shout Mouse Press, authors learned to create poetic and rhythmic manuscripts that are fun to read aloud! The result of all this hard work is four incredible and unique books for toddlers: Where Could Mama Be?, Mamas Just Like You, Sebastian’s Apartment Family, and Central America, ¡mira, mira, mira!

Isayana, Emely, and Daysha were inspired to write their book, Where Could Mama Be? by the struggles they have had as student and working mothers when dropping off their kids at daycare. They know first-hand how hard it can be for young children to say goodbye and deal with separation. These authors wanted to let those parents and babies know that they’re not alone in those rough moments and to create a book that would help them cope together. Izi, one of the authors of the book, says she wanted to “let children know that, no matter where mommy is, whether it be school or work, she does it for you to have a better future with many opportunities.” Ian Springer brings this imaginative story to life with his fun and playful artwork. 

The authors of Mamas Just Like You didn’t feel seen in the children’s books they read with their toddlers.  As busy student parents with diverse styles and cultural backgrounds, Sinnah, Chae, and Marilyn know what it’s like reading to their kids and not seeing any mothers like them. That’s why they decided to write a book that honored the diversity of mothers and encouraged readers of all ages to be themselves and be proud of who they are. “We’re not just talking about the culture, we’re talking about identities.” Chae says about Mamas Just Like You, which lifts up all mamas who are underrepresented — whether for their race/ethnicity, their job, their gender expression, or their personal style. “It’s really meaningful to me, especially…and I’m glad that there is an Asian mama in our book!" Alex Perkins worked with the authors to illustrate a diverse cast of characters in their sassy and affirming artwork.

Sebastian’s Apartment Family was written by Sarah, Shola, and Tayla. These three writers grew up in the DC area and know first-hand the importance of community. Sarah was raised by an extended family of neighbors, teachers, and family friends, and she continues to rely on her village to help raise her children while she attends college. Shola wanted to create a book that portrayed the experience of being a teen mother, raising her son with the help of her community. Tayla was raised by her grandparents who impressed upon her the importance of “community love.” Together, they created a book that passes on these values and depicts the beauty of this type of family. “I feel like each book that we wrote was keeping our culture alive,” Shola says about her book. “Now that we have it written down, when we pass on and our kids pass on, that book is going to be passed on from generation to generation.” Jordyn Flood brings Sebastian and his apartment family to life in her sweet artwork. 

The authors of Central America, ¡mira, mira, mira!, Araceli, Edith, and Juliana all have family roots in Honduras and Mexico. They wrote their book to share a piece of Latino culture with their families and to help young kids connect with their heritage. They were inspired by the structure of the classic children’s book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, and together, they created a book that incorporates both beautiful images from each of the different countries in Central America and fun sounds for toddlers to say out loud. Through charming collage art, Shurjo Mukhi depicts the beautiful moments from each country that the authors envisioned.

All of these authors set out to fill a gap they noticed in the books available for toddlers. With few books featuring young or student parents in the children’s book marketplace it was hard to find books for their children that represented families like theirs. So they created them! These beautifully illustrated stories show our youngest readers that there are so many amazing ways to be. We couldn’t be more proud of these young authors who created stories that lay bare the heart, the dedication, the empathy, and the joy with which they were written.