Written By: Danielle W. Rosser
When “representation matters” is more than just a slogan, you answer the call like Valerie J. Lewis Coleman – an Ohio author and publisher whose work bolsters BIPOC children and authors.
After successfully self-publishing several of her own titles, Coleman began working with others in the Black, Indigenous, People of Color community of book authors. She has now published over 180 authors and helped thousands of writers hone their craft.
Things ramped up when she realized that her beloved Dayton metropolitan area was home to the 3 lowest ranking school districts in the state. Literacy being a key factor in overall scholarship, Coleman knew the answer could be found in a book.
In 2019, Coleman penned Oh, the Things I Can Be When I See Me, based on conversations she’d had with her granddaughters. It was illustrated with characters that resemble the girls, right down to the varied brown skin tones they possess. Of course, Coleman says, they were ecstatic when they saw themselves in book form! Since then, she’s worked hard to ensure that BIPOC children’s authors have the guidance and platform necessary to make their work count.
This July, her publishing company – Pen of the Writer – will host the When I See Me BIPOC Children’s Book Festival. It features mostly self-published authors with books for Black and brown children.
“The main purpose of the book fair is to help our babies to fall in love with reading by giving them examples of characters that look like them,” says Coleman.
Children at the free festival will participate in book signings, fun activities and take home free gifts like signed books and Chick-fil-A gift cards. Aspiring authors will enjoy a panel discussion on how to successfully write children’s books.
“When I was growing up in the ‘60s, I didn’t see books with characters that looked like me until after a book called Mexicali Soup came out.” She was seven years old when the book featuring a Mexican family was published.
Having published 15 books in as many years, Coleman has a lot to say about the publishing industry.
“It’s great that more books by Black and brown authors are coming out,” she says, recalling a time where her vendor’s booth was rushed by a pre-teen who excitedly pointed at Oh, the Things I Can Be When I See Me. “She said, ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ And she was devastated when her dad said they couldn’t get the book that day.” Coleman wound up giving her a book and a bookmark with the characters’ faces on it.
According to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, just 39% of kids’ books published in 2023 had main characters that were BIPOC children. That’s up 16% from 2018.
Coleman points out that while it’s nice that white and other authors publish books about BIPOC children, our culture is best presented as a mirror image.
She encourages self-publishing authors to learn the professional standards that readers come to expect. Instead of rushing to publish, Coleman suggests taking the time to have the book edited and proofread, as well as educating themselves on what should be where in the layout.
To inspire your kids with books whose characters look like them, head to the When I See Me BIPOC Children’s Book Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 27th at the West Branch Library, 300 Abbey Ave., Dayton, OH 45417.
Learn more about Valerie J. Lewis Coleman at www.penofthewriter.com.
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