Children's book Illustrations
Welcome to my portfolio! For the past decade, I have had the honour of collaborating with talented authors to bring to life a variety of children's books. My passion is rooted in my heritage as a child of immigrants and my connection to the Caribbean, as well as the rich tapestry of the African Diaspora. I firmly believe that diverse stories are crucial for fostering a just and equitable world, and I am dedicated to manifesting this through my art.
Each book can be purchased by clicking on the cover.
For illustration inquiries, please contact Christy Ewers at CAT Agency Inc. at christy@catagencyinc.com
Clients include: Scholastic Canada, Scholastic U.S., Owlkids Books, Groundwood Books, Little Golden Books (Penguin Random House), Beach Lane Books, Feiwel & Friends, Sourcebooks, Free Spirit Press, Reycraft Publishing, Annick Press, Leap Forward Publishing
The One and Only Question
Published by Groundwood Books
Written by Norma Charles and Andrea Charles
It's Zeke's first day at his new school and his head is filled with one big question: what will he do when they call him the N-word like they did at his old school?
Zeke is expecting the worst day ever, and that's what it's turning out to be. His favorite shirt has a mustard stain on it, the bus driver is unfriendly, and his teacher covers material Zeke has heard a million times. It’s not until another student performs a small act of kindness that Zeke realizes that no one has called him the N-word all day. Not once. And tomorrow could be even better …
The One and Only Question will prompt young readers to ask questions of their own about how to handle bullying — while also encouraging conversations about everyone’s right to a safe learning environment.
Saturday Morning at the 'Shop
Published by Beach Lane Books
Written by Keenan Jones
Spend Saturday morning at the barbershop in this upbeat picture book celebration of the spaces and places that bring communities together.
It’s Saturday morning. We hop in the car. Mom’s heading to work, and I’m geeked to go spend the day at the ’shop!
The barbershop is a sound booth, an art gallery, a playground, a classroom, and so much more. It’s a place for artistry and comradery and, most importantly, community. Come spend the day feeling all the style and wisdom and joy at the ’shop!
Relying on repetition and alliteration, Jones has crafted a bouncy storytime tale and a tribute to the power of community. A read-aloud as sharp and stylish as a fresh cut.
-- Kirkus Reviews
* "An affectionate portrayal of both an intergenerational tradition and a crucial community cornerstone."
-- Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
I Am Cherished /
Mon Nom est Kikelomo (fr.)
Published by Scholastic Books
Written by Onome Ako
My name is Kikelomo and I am cherished!
It’s Kikelomo’s first day of school and she is excited! But when it’s time to share in her classroom circle, Kikelomo is surprised and saddened when other children make fun of her name. When Kikelomo comes home that night, her mother and father remind her how carefully they chose her name and that it means “a child who is cherished” in Yoruba, the language of her mother’s family. It prompts her to think about all the times she feels cherished and who she is, held inside her loving family.
Joyful, powerful and infused with love, this proudly affirming story will resonate with every child who needs to stand up for their big, beautiful name, and encourage kids and grownups from all backgrounds to think about their own unique connection to their name.
Summer Island
Published by Leap Forward Publishing
Written by Deborah C. Mortimer
Pack your bags and grab your passport!
School’s out and we’re headed to a beautiful Caribbean island to meet new family, listen to Granny’s stories, play with cousins and make amazing memories.
You’ll want to visit this Summer Island again and again!
Winner of Booklist Award for Fiction, Children's Diverse & Multicultural Book
Muhammad Ali
Published by Little Golden Books
Written by Frank Berrios
Help your little one dream big with a Little Golden Book biography about legendary boxer and activist Muhammad Ali.
This Little Golden Book about Muhammad Ali--the boxing heavyweight champion, civil rights activist, and the original GOAT (Greatest of All Time)--is an inspiring read-aloud for young readers.
You Come From Greatness
Published by Waterbrook Books
Written by Sara Chinakwe
A young boy learns that he is walking in the footsteps of greatness through a vibrant, lyrical retelling of Black history—both a love letter to Black children and an anthem empowering them to know their God-given worth.
“A reminder to Black children that they are capable of greatness.”—Kirkus Reviews
Throughout the story, the boy discovers the rich heritage of those that have gone before him and learns how he embodies that same greatness. He, too, has the power to change the world by embracing exactly who God made him to be.
You Come from Greatness includes illustrations of Black historical figures such as Wangari Muta Maathai, Ellie Mannette, Rebecca Lee Crumpler, and more, with twenty short biographies at the end of the book.
The Little Regent
Published by Owl Kids Books
Written by Yewande Daniel-Ayoade
A little girl is tasked with ruling her West African village in this empowering story about breaking from tradition and leading with your heart
After the king of a West African village dies, his eight-year-old daughter Abioye is made the temporary ruler, or regent, until a new king is chosen. The chiefs scoff at this decision—a little girl can’t be regent! Even Abioye herself doubts whether she’s up to the task. But her late father’s words of wisdom comfort and guide her: Those who will rule must first learn to serve.
Author Yewande Daniel-Ayoade draws on Yoruba traditions and culture to craft a highly original, uplifting feminist fable. Abioye’s journey will inspire readers, regardless of age or gender, to discover their inner strength, wisdom, and capacity to lead.
2025 Blue Spruce Award finalist and 2025 Cybils Award finalist
Back Home - Story Time with My Father
Published by Candlewick Press
Written by Arlène Elizabeth Casimir
A lyrical text and vivid, luminous imagery transport readers to Haiti through a father’s tales and a child’s imagination—and invite them to tell stories of their own.
Krik! Krak!
This is how story time begins.
Lune loves hearing her daddy’s stories—the funny ones, the sad ones, the ones with lessons about truth and love. Whether evoking an ill-fated climb up a mango tree or life after a hurricane, flying over magical mountains or the healing power of a mother’s love, all of Daddy’s stories begin with “lakay”—back home—and each one ushers Lune to Haiti, her father’s homeland, a place she doesn’t know but can see, hear, and feel when she closes her eyes. Daddy is her favorite book, and sometimes she stays up late just to hear another story when he gets home from work. Everyone has stories, her mommy tells her, so Lune begins to wonder: could she have stories of her own, too?
A feast for the eyes and the spirit -- Kirkus Reviews
Black Boy, Black Boy
Published by Sourcebooks
Written by Ali Kamanda and Jorge Redmond
This lyrical, rhythmic text encourages boys to imagine everything they can be and the great things they can do, drawing on the strength of people throughout history that paved the way for Black boys today.
Black Boy, Black Boy tells today's boys: you have the courage, you are the light. It's a new day! Be inspired and motivated by drawing on the history of the role models that came before you.
An affirming, nurturing, and powerful celebration of Black men, past, present, and future -- Kirkus Reviews
Awarded Best Illustrations by Black Kidlit Awards
'
Granny's Kitchen
Published by Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan Press)
written by Sadé Smith
"Warm and inviting. Daley’s vibrant, highly saturated illustrations bolster the appeal and are sure to entice young readers―and perhaps encourage them to try their own hand in the kitchen. ... A vibrant, upbeat story of a determined girl and her love of food."
— Kirkus Reviews
2022 Blue Spruce Award finalist
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The Legend of the Spirit Serpent
Published by Reycraft Books
written by Adaiah Sanford
This modern retelling of a traditional Kalinago legend from the Caribbean island of Dominica recounts the story of a huge serpent who once guarded the indigenous people.
— Kirkus, STARRED REVIEW ★
This book is the winner of the 1st Annual Caribbean Writer's Contest sponsored by Reycraft Books and the Ducreay Foundation. Ages 7-12
In the Spirit of a Dream
Published by Scholastic Books
created by Alina Chau
written by Aida Salazar
Celebratory, triumphant, and inspiring, In the Spirit of a Dream is a tribute to American immigrants of color, written in poems and illustrated by 14 first- and second-generation immigrant artists.
These stories are told in poems by Aida Salazar and artwork by Alina Chau, Bianca Diaz, Dion MBD, Fahmida Azim, Gaby D'Alessandro, Jose Ramirez, Ken Daley, Nicole Xu, Paulo D. Campos, Rahele Jomepour Bell, Tracy Guiteau, Vanessa Flores, and Yasmin Imamura.
Buy Now
Illustration of Candido Camero from 'In the Spirit of a Dream'
Jayden's Impossible Garden
Published by Free Spirit Publishing
written by Mélina Mangal www.melinamangal.com
'Timeless and vibrant, this story highlights the beauty of intergenerational relationships and the power of imagination and perseverance in bringing the vision of a community garden to life. Jayden’s love of nature will inspire readers to see their environment and surroundings as bursting with opportunities for growth and connection. At the back of the book, readers will find activities to make items found in the book, such as the milk jug bird feeder'.
Jayden’s Impossible Garden is the winner of the 2019 African American Voices in Children’s Literature writing contest, cosponsored by Strive Publishing and Free Spirit Publishing.
A Feast for Joseph
Published by Groundwood Books / House of Anansi Publishing
written by Terry Farish & O.D. Bonny
Joseph misses sharing meals with lots of people like he did back in the refugee camp, so when the neighbors finally come over, it's a feast! A companion book to Joseph's Big Ride, described in Kirkus as "a joyful, upbeat tale."
Joseph's Big Ride
Published by Annick Press
written by Terry Farish www.terryfarish.com
“A joyful, upbeat tale that takes a positive perspective on an immigrant child’s first encounters.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“The narrative, which focuses on building a friendship, is paired with Daley’s vibrant illustrations, which depict just how fast the minds, and bikes, of young children can go…An ideal addition…”
— School Library Journal
Auntie Luce's Talking Paintings
Published by Groundwood Books / House of Anansi Press
written by Francie Latour www.francielatour.com
Daley's . . . paintings convey some of the complexities of time and place through the images themselves. Young readers will enjoy how Latour and Daley celebrate Haitian history and culture through this lovely, artistic story.
— Kirkus, STARRED REVIEW
Américas Award Honorable Mention
Jayden's Secret Ingredient
Published by Free Spirit Publishing
written by Mélina Mangal www.melinamangal.com
Jayden discovers the secret ingredient to trying something new.
Jayden loves the outdoors and the garden he created with his friend Mr. Curtis. But he’s not so sure about sampling some of the garden’s produce. When Mr. Curtis invites neighbors to share the harvest of scarlet runner beans, Jayden faces a dilemma. Will he find the courage to try something new?
Jayden returns for all new adventures in Jayden’s Secret Ingredient. This story, which can be read as a standalone or as a sequel to the award-winning Jayden’s Impossible Garden, emphasizes the importance of friendship, community, and the courage and openness to try new things.
