Lil Radicals – Brooklyn

Contact: Monica Johnson, 
monica@booklyn.org 
Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @booklynart 
718-383-9621

Lil’ Radicals​ is an exhibition and celebration independently published children’s books with a
focus on multicultural affirmation, social justice education, and empathy development. For
reading ages 3-12, these books were either self-published or published by small and
independent presses throughout New York City, across the U.S., and in parts of Canada and
Europe. Works on view present a dynamic range of stylistic and narrative approaches to
children’s publications that will affirm, teach, and comfort children; challenge standards; and
surprise adult readers.

In recent years we have witnessed a new and exciting wave of storytelling in children’s literature
in response to the wide diversity gap in children’s book publishing. Industry publishers have
answered the call for diverse characters and marginalized histories, but tend to stay safely
within the bounds of a conservative book market. We wanted to know, where are the diversity
stories that ​aren’t ​published by the big houses? Well…we found them!

~~~ ​Featuring work by​ ~~~
​Abeni Moreno – Alyssa Dennis – Anthony Tucker – Antoinette Martinez –

Are Not Books – Berns Rothchild & Chris Smith – Blood Orange Press – Callaloo Cultural
Literacy for Kids – Double Why – Dr. Artika R. Tyner – Flamingo Rampant Press – Fly Orr &
The Lower Eastside Girls Club – Jacinta Bunnell – Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative & Radix
Media – Katie Yamasaki – Micheline Hess – Nicole Marie Burton – Namiyo Kubo – Phoebe
Tran & Nicolette Bull – Robert Liu-Trujillo – Sari Sari Storybooks – Savory Words
Publishing – Tim Fite & Daniel Saks – Tomas Moniz & Alicia Dornadic

Books on display include ​A Rocky Start​, ​by South Bronx public school educator and author,
Anthony Tucker, who wrote the book for his students about his own experience as a young boy.
Brooklyn based artist, Katie Yamasaki’s ​Fish for Jimmy ​tells an adapted version of her own
family’s story in Japanese internment camps. The Lower East Side Girls Club in Manhattan
brought us a selection of their zines made for and by middle schoolers. Robert Liu-Trujillo, a
Bay Area author and illustrator, contributed ​Furqan’s First Flat Top​, a Spanish/English
bilingual story of a young boy getting his first flat top haircut at a barbershop with his dad.
Finally, ​Justice Makes a Difference,​ by Minneapolis based author and educator, Dr. Artika
Tyner, tells the tale of a girl named Justice, who, inspired by freedom fighters, dreams of
becoming a changemaker herself.

We are hosting Saturday programming for kids and families throughout the exhibition. For the
most up to date schedule:​ ​https://www.eventbrite.com/o/booklyn-17272663165. ​We welcome
adults and children of all ages, identities, and abilities. If there is anything we can do to support
your visit, please email us and let us know: ​hello@booklyn.org​.

Lil’ Radicals is organized by Monica Johnson, with research & curriculum by Olivia Siu.



Special thanks​ to Zoe Beloff, Richard Van Camp, Daniel Tucker, Josh MacPhee, Aimee Lusty,
and Interference Archive. This exhibition draws inspiration from​ ​Social Justice Books​,​ ​Stories for
Free Children​ and​ ​Stay Solid! A Radical Handbook for Youth​.

This exhibition is made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the
support of Governor Andrew Cuomo, and the New York State Legislature and additionally, in
part, by funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City
Council.