Although there has been an increase in the amount of ethnic minority books that are being published in the children’s industry, it is still a shockingly low statistic. In 2022, the amount of ethnic minority books consisted of only 21%. 1 But the children’s publishing industry is changing and molding into something exciting thanks to people like Kelly Nicholls. She is taking the initiative to make books for black children with black protagonists in order to change the narrative and increase their love of reading.

During the 2023 Children’s Book Conference, Kelly Nicholls sat down with other creators of subscription book boxes and explained the importance and ethos behind her subscription box, Woke Babies. Woke Babies is a monthly subscription box created with black children in mind. There are different box models that range for ages 0-11. Each box comes with a book, educational resources, and card affirmations. When asked how Nicholls curates her boxes and decides what stories to put in it she states, “I noticed that a lot of the books out there tend to focus on social issues or history, which is important, but I just feel like black children should just be able to be children.” Instead, they focus on making fun, exciting stories with black children as the heroes and protagonists. When a child reads about a main character or a hero that looks like them, it can create a healthy sense of identity. These books can be vital to their developing personality and sense of self.

Photo Credit: https://wokebabies.com/

On the Woke Babies website, they highlight the importance of self love. By giving children the opportunity to read stories with protagonists that look and act like them, they can gain confidence, dream bigger, and maximize their potential. With a following of almost 25k on Instagram and with the creation of their bookstore Melanin Magic, Nicholls has been able to reach a vast amount of children that otherwise wouldn’t have had the knowledge that these books exist.They also take their store on the road by traveling to nearby schools. Schools have the option to book them by the hour for a popup store. Through their subscription model and outreach into the community, they are creating a future generation of confident, creative children and giving them something that those before them never got to experience.

“Parents love it first because they know how much it’s needed. It’s something that they didn’t have growing up.”

-Nicholls on the creation of the subscription book model

Photo Credit:  https://wokebabies.com/

Not only is this a valuable resource for black families, it can also be an extremely important resource for children from different backgrounds. Within some communities, children may only interact with other children who are the same as them: same race, same socioeconomic status, same interests, etc. With resources like Woke Babies, other children can experience reading from a different perspective and learn something new. Recognizing and celebrating diversity from a young age could be the catalyst for a vital change in the political and social landscape of the future. Although this is ultimately an incredible resource by black people for black people, it can bring massive benefits to communities as a whole.

  1. Statistic from the presentation “Quality and Quantity: New Conversations about Disability Representation” the Children’s Book Conference 2023. The speakers were Beth Cox and Alex Strict. ↩︎