By K-Fai SteeleA Normal Pig is a picture book about a pig named Pip. Pip considers herself to be a “pretty normal pig” who “does normal stuff.” But when a new pig shows up at her school and makes fun of Pip’s lunch, her identity—and sense of normalcy—is turned upside down.A Normal Pig is somewhat... Continue Reading →
What are your literary influences?My literary influences come from disparate sources. I studied a wide variety of theory in college and graduate school — everyone from Roland Barthes to Judith Butler to Gloria Anzaldua and Cherrie Moraga to Bell Hooks to Mikail Baktin to Subcomandante Marcos. I also read poetry voraciously including everyone from Waslowa... Continue Reading →
What inspired you to write INTERNMENT?A lot of people ask me if I wrote INTERNMENT as a response to the anti-immigrant, fear mongering policies and stances of the current administration. The short answer to that is, no. I got the first seed of the idea for the story in late 2015. I finished an early... Continue Reading →
As an African-American author / illustrator, do you feel pressure to represent your community?It’s not a pressure as much as it is an honor. There are so many wonderful stories by African American authors and illustrators that I have read over the years, and I am truly ecstatic whenever I get a chance to add... Continue Reading →
1. What inspired you to write Grandma’s Purse?I just love Grandmas! They are everything, and that most children who are blessed to have grandparents who come to visit or live with them is something so very special. “That’s my mommy’s mommy or my dad’s mom!” Just a child wrapping there little heads around that relationship... Continue Reading →
What inspired you to become an illustrator?When I was seven years old, I received Disney’s Sleeping Beauty book. I was completely taken by the art. I loved how the characters were drawn, the colors that the artist used, the soft backgrounds, the magical touches on the fairy godmothers, the expressions of the characters. The memories... Continue Reading →
What motivates your work?Sometimes it feels like blackness, at least as portrayed in books, films, and on television, is like an exhibit in a museum, a thing heavily curated around the curiosities, assumptions, and, dare I say, profit motives of mainstream media and culture. Oftentimes, the images we see don’t reflect the everyday lived experiences... Continue Reading →
How did you decide you wanted to illustrate this particular book? When Penny Candy Books contacted me and asked if I was interested in working on this book, my answer was a definite yes. Although I had done several illustrations for poems with Cricket magazine, this was my first real opportunity to work on an... Continue Reading →
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