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literacy Tag

Storytime Friends

Hey yall, I’m writing to you about Storytime Friends, a nonprofit I serve as a member of their Advisory
Council. Check out this message from the founders and dig in….and DONATE HERE

Storytime Friends has delivered a lively read-aloud video series, free
picture books, and fun, educational activities on a monthly basis to children at UCSF Benioff
Children’s Hospital in Oakland for 2 years now. They secured a fiscal sponsorship with the
Social Good Fund, so that we can offer tax-deduction benefits to our donors. And they’ve
built relationships with book publishers, a large community of authors & illustrators, local
Bay Area bookstores, and with Children’s Fairyland, and more along the way. 
 
We’ve accomplished all of this on a 100% volunteer basis. We’ve been pouring our hearts into
this, and now we need financial support to keep going and growing. 
 
My ask is this: if you can support Storytime Friends with a donation, I would be grateful.
 
Theyre fundraising to get more books into the hands of Kids in 2025. We hope to raise $30,000 by December 31, 2024. 
 
Thank you for considering this worthwhile project.

DONATE HERE

October 8, 2024
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Storytime Print 5

Storytime Print 5 – Eyy its been about 6 or 7 years since I started making these “storytime prints” first for fun, then more and more because those who love and learn with children asked for more. This is a portrait of me and my daughter so its special:) I hope it means something to you wherever you are and wherever your reading nook is. Be it in the classroom, an office, a library, or your home.

GET A PRINT!

Dig this? Check out the one I did of my wife and my daughter when she was younger.

September 13, 2024
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Tandem “Building on Books” – May 9th

Hey if you’re in the Bay Area on May 9th and you’d like to support an organization that puts literacy first for Bay Area youth come check out “Building on Books”. This will be a fundraiser for Tandem’s work giving away books to families and educators, traning for those who work with kids, and so much more. this event will feature food, drinks, activities, and a talk by Tiffany Golden, Darshana Khiani, and myself.

LINK to GET TICKETS

March 28, 2024
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Butterfly in the Sky (Reading Rainbow) – Trailer

This is a really inspiring documentary about “READING RAINBOW” featuring the creators of the incredible show that touched so many of us as youngins. PLEASE watch it, rent it, go see it in theaters, share it. It’s all about spreading the love of reading and learning. #readingrainbow #Documentary #ButterflyInTheSky

Dig this? Check out my last art print “I’m a Reader”

March 26, 2024
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New Print! – I’m a Reader

I started working on this one several months ago and just finally added the type to it today. You can go to my shop to purchase a print HERE.

Storytime: I was recently at the library with my daughter when I young boy came up to say hello and ask If I illustrated kids books. I told him I did and spoke to him about a fellow artist he should check out as I didn’t have any materials on me to show him. One of the librarians told me he was bored and I went to get him a copy of Jerry Craft’s graphic novel “New Kid” which is excellent. He smiled. But later he came back to me and my daughter and gave the book back (even after the same librarian also recommended it). I asked if he didn’t like this type of book? If he’d be interested in another? 

"Nah, I just don't like reading." he responded.

To which, I said "Graphic novels, or books in general?"

"In general" he responded.

And yall, my heart sank a little bit because I was this kid. I was him. I hated reading. I prefereed listening to hip hop, playing outside, or watching tv. All good things, but I just feel that we gotta help our children develop a level of literacy that is strong and passionate. Doesn’t mean they need to be come writers, but I do want them to read. Sigh. I didn’t have the time to sit with him because my 5 year old was pulling my attention. But I wondered. Could he read and just really didn’t fuck with it? Did he not know how and as a result decided it wasn’t for him? Or was there literally nothing in that library full of books that interested him specifically?

Anyways, it showed me there’s still a lot of work to be done…..

Dig this? Check out the last READ print in a series. This one of a welder/maker.

January 25, 2024
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VIDEO: My Favorite Art Books 3

Hey everyone its been awhile since I did one of these and I’m excited to share it.  The aim of these is to inspire you, inspire artists, young readers, and more. Art books to me are books using visual art, photography, design, collage, and words to highlight a topic, art form, person, place, genre, discipline, or medium.
They are a great way to unplug when you’ve been staring at screens too long. They’re great for traveling, road trips, flights, etc. They’re great for getting inspired and they’re a great way to get young people reading; as long as its about a topic they LOVE. Please watch and share.

I discuss 13 books in the video including my own art book:
“The Art of Tekkenkinkreet / Black & White” – Shinji Kimura
“Supreme Glamour”- Mary Wilson
“The Art of Juanjo Guarnido” – Juanjo Guarnido
“Shelter in Place” – Avy Jetter
“Dinotopia” – James Gurney
“Painting The Streets-Oakland Uprising in the Time of Rebellion”- Nomadic Press
“Creations Vol. 1” – Derek Laufman
“Iguana Bay” – Claire Wendling
“Black Champions in Cycling” – Marlon Lee Moncrieffe
“Maestrapiece- San Francisco’s Monumental Feminist Mural” –Heyday Books
“Art of Rob” – Robert Liu-Trujillo
“Prince of Cats” – Ronald Wimberly 

Dig this? Check out “My Favorite Art Books 2” the second video in this series. And if your local bookstore or library doesn’t have any of the art books you’re looking for, politely request them 🙂
If you’d like to purchase some of them I suggest ordering them from your local bookstore, Bookshop.org, or StuartNg Books in LA.
December 16, 2022
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“Alvin Irby” Interview w/ Lurie Daniel Favors Show

I remember hearing about Alvin Irby many years ago and loving his mission for Barbershop Books because he’s passionate about reading and you could tell he cares. In this episode of Lurie Daniels Favors radio show she interviews him about how he started, what drove him, and what advice he has for making readers out of your kids. 

Link to LISTEN
If you haven’t already check out Barbershop Books!!
Dig this? Check out these lists of Bipoc owned bookstores Black owned, Latinx owned, and Asian American owned.
December 14, 2022
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Chapter 510-Sense of Belonging

 

This past fall I did some quick drawings for Oakland’s “Chapter 510” who are always doing work around empowering young writers, readers, and thinkers. These are a few of the portraits of some young people for their collective poem called “A Sense of Belonging”. More info about the project here.
Dig this? Check out this portrait I did of Leila for Chapter 510 and Oakland Public Library.
Or the illustrations for ACLU x Central Valley Report
November 28, 2022
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