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Furqan’s First Flat Top Tag

Everyday Advocacy-Positive video testimony

I was informed about this organization doing some great work to inform everyday folks about the work that educators, teachers, and advocates for literacy do to bring fresh and diverse stories to class rooms. They also provide resources for educators. On their Youtube you can see a varety of different writers sharing their expertise or experiences and they play a key role in helping parents and community members understand what real life teachers are and are not doing in the classroom.

Watch them explain here:

Dig this? Check out this interview with the Multicultural Classroom or peep the Social Justice Children’s Book Fair

April 11, 2025
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Furqan’s First -over 3k sold independently!!

Wow, I’m excited to announce that “Furqan’s First Flat Top/ El Primer Corte de Mesita de Furqan“ has officially sold out of its 2nd print run. That makes over 3000 books sold hand to hand, at events, or sent to folks all over the US and the world. 

Some day I’ll do a video about what it took to do this independently without the help of a publisher or marketing team. At the time I decided to do it I was getting little to no love from the industry. I’ve since learned that this is partially what it means to be a beginning author/illustrator and that there is and was a huge problem with the diversity of kids books!
Here’s the post I did about the book release at EastSide Arts Alliance w/ Kati Cepeda and Aya de Leon.  And the trailer for the book got over 5k views! Holy smokes.Never expected it to reach so many people but it has and folks are still learning about it today!
It all started with one or two books. Now I’ve worked on over 10 children’s books as an illustrator and/or author with more on the way. Furqan is temporarily sold out but you can cop the latest book I illustrated for Jill Guerra “We Are Yoga/ Somos Yoga”.

And if you missed my kickstarter you can cop my first book of art including 130 pages of sketch book art, character designs, tutorials, and more Art of Rob LINK.

October 28, 2022
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Gift Box Feature 3 – Booklandia (Portugal)

 

BIG shout out to Maceo who is the founder and owner of “Booklandia“ the first Gift/Subscription Box to give my book “Furqan’s First Flat Top” a shot. When I first debuted as a kids book illustrator and author Maceo almost immediately started carrying my book, other books I’d worked on, name plates I’d made, etc and she even licensed work from me to make coloring sheets.
If you’re not hip to her business it is one of the first bilingual and Spanish language subscription book boxes in the US (She now lives in Portugal). They carry books for children from newborns to middle grade kids. Not just that, she searches for books that reflect the diversity of Latinos (all colors). 
If you’re new to this, I’m sharing some of the amazing small businesses that have featured my books, merchandise, or artwork in their subscription book boxes. Booklandia is not only a gift box, it’s also a pop up bookstore that has filled a need in the kidlit world. Please go support the biz by purchasing books (physical or audio).

LINK: Booklandia Books

Dig this? Check out the last giftbox feature: Los Amigos Books (Chicago)
July 12, 2022
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Fotos from bella vista reading

Two weeks ago I read at a local Oakland school called Bella Vista, and here are some photos from the reading which had over 100 kids, parents and teachers. Photo credit.
This was a tough one because the crowd was big so I had a mic and walked around with a student to show the kids the pages of the book in between reading. Since 2012 I’ve done 1-10 school, library, or event readings with my books every year. Sometimes by myself and sometimes with another author.
I’ve spoken to pre school, elementary, high school, and college students. If you’d like me to come speak to your students give me a holler.
Dig this? Check out this visit to Columbus Ohio where I tabled at SOL Con and read to a local school. LINK
June 6, 2022
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Video: Furqan’s First read en Español

 

Hey folks, I realized it had been more than a year since I uploaded an English reading of my book. So here is a Spanish reading of “Furqan’s First Flat Top/ El Primer Corte de Mesita de Furqan”. Enjoy and feel free to share with Spanish teachers, bilingual students, etc. 
Where to purchase the book: My Shop
If you need more than 5 copies please email me at info@robdontstop.com
January 29, 2022
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Dia De Niño

 

What up fam, I will be reading and speaking / reading at the “Dia del Niño” bilingual book festival. Please go to their website here: https://www.ninosbookfest.com/ and follow them so you can catch 1 of the 3 days with many creators such as Pat Mora, Nury Castillo Crawford, Juana Martinez -Neal, Patty Rodriguez, and more.

There will be readings, demo’s, give aways, and more.

April 15, 2021
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Care Package for Black Boys

Just made this care package for you to send to a Black Boy anywhere. You can send this as a gift to a child, family, etc to encourage them to keep reading even in amidst the quarantine times we’re living in. 
In this care package you will get:
-An 11″ x 14″ Read print
-A copy of Furqan’s First Flat Top (Bilingual/hardbound ) a picture book about Black hair, imagination, and a father & son written and illustrated by Me!
-A copy of 13 Ways of Looking at a Black Boy (hardbound) written by Tony Medina, illustrated by 13 illustrators, including me.
-Two Bookmarks
-One Bookplate sticker
-One postcard
Purchase this care package HERE
July 31, 2020
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Reading w/ Tia Chucha- July 9th

Excited to announce that I will be reading online for Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural y Bookstore in 

the San Fernando Valley (North of LA) on July 9th at 12pm. I’ve been a fan of writer Luis J. Rodriguez’s work since I read “The Republic of East LA” which I read in the early 2000’s. Luis is a poet and writer who started Tia Chucha’s because there was no bookstore in this area. Tia Chucha’s is also a press so it’s great to be reading in their “Lil Readers” program which you can catch live on their facebook or Instagram pg.

July 4, 2020
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Bilingual Book deals

Yo, peace and blessings to you admist the chaos that is Amerikkka. I have just uploaded two new deals to my shop for those that are interested in sending someone a little love via bilingual books and such. The first one is a care package of books, bookmarks, and stickers. 
PURCHASE Here

The second deal is just the books. And if you search on here you can go through and find reviews for both Furqan’s First Flat Top written and illustrated by me, and One of a Kind Like Me, written by Laurin Mayeno and illustrated by me. 
PURCHASE Here
Did you see the last pack of bilingual book marks for COMICS Readers?

June 2, 2020
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Video – Furqan’s First in English/ Spanish


Peace, this is for the folks who’ve been asking. Feel free to share this with your child, student, or relatives during this social distancing, distanced learning, pandemic times. Below is the Spanish reading of the book.


Tia Carla did a reading of the book in Spanish already so I figured I’d share that for families to watch as its done quite well! Please check out her other videos of books in English and Spanish.

April 15, 2020
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