Photos from 6th Social Justice Children's Book Holiday Fair

 

Organizers of the fair: Me, Laura Atkins, Alejandra Domezain, Janine Macbeth, Peter Limata, Lydia Yamaguchi, Innosanto Nagara-not pictured) photo by Mark Rea

photo by Mark Rea

Breanna McDaniels w/ Hayley Diep , photo by Mark Rea

Me! photo by Mark Rea

If you missed the book fair but still want to buy books you can still purchase books from some of the vendors here

All the Fairs authors/illustrators , photo by Mark Rea

Screenshot from livestream Mr Limata w/ James Shields

photo by Janine Macbeth (Aida Salazar w/ Aya de Leon)

photo by Janine Macbeth (Mr Limata w/ Ko Kim)

For all those who missed the "6th annual "Social Justice Children's Book Holiday Fair" here are a few photos from the event. If you'd like to see more please go here.

Digging this? Check out the year we did it online during the pandemic or the Livestream Interviews W/ Mr Limata this year

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.

Steal Estate trailer

 

This is the last of the projects from the Rise Home Stories Project. My book Alejandria Fights Back was one of the 5. Each project, the book, video game, animated short, podcast, and now interactive website are creative projects with a theme. Check out this trailer about "Steal Estate". It will be an interactive website.

LINK to website 

Dig this? Check out this post featuring podcasts about housing discrimination

"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.

Postcard Deal 3

 

Here is a new set of postcards I just made featuring some figures from Black history, old 80s movies, and even one of my characters. 

Get a set of postcards here

Dig this? Check out the previous set of postcards

I Am The Subway- Kim Hyo-eun

 

I just checked out this book from a nearby library and I'm in love with the style of art and the story. It was originally published in Korea but has just been translated to english by Deborah Smith. Wow what an incredible picture book. I love how the title credits are introduced after the story begins. I love Kim's hand drawn traditional media style. 

GET THIS BOOK

Some more pages from the book:

Check out this book trailer

Dig this? Check out this post about Asian American owned bookstores

Spiderverse 2 Trailer

Video link

Yo, super excited to see this!! I LOVED "Into the SpiderVerse" with Miles Morales. Watched it with my son and my wife and was so inspired not only by the style of animation but the content and having an AFRO LATINO kid be the main protagonist of the story. If you havent seen the first one go watch it and show up for this one. Its important!

Dig this? Check out this drawing os Brenda Banks-animator and Sandra Equihua also an animator

 

Video: Interviews @ the "Social Justice Children's Book Holiday Fair"

 

Video link

This is some video footage featuring interviews from book creators, organizations, the organizers of the event, and the owner of Teance. Can we give it up for Peter Limata and Lydia Yamaguchi though? They just bring SO MUCH vibrancy, love, and care to what they capture and who they spoke to at the event!  Please watch and enjoy. If you did not get a chance to attend the fair in person you can still get books from the creators who were there and many others using our website 

LINK to the website

Video link 2

Here is more interviews Peter did leading up to the fair that morning. In this he speaks to Jill Guerra (We are Yoga/Somos Yoga), Christina Newhard of Sari Sari Books (KaliPay, Melo the Umang Boy), Breanna McDaniels (Hands Up), and John Casselberry (Konscious Kids).

Dig this? Check out the virtual 2020 Social Justice Children's Book Fair

Speaking w/ Prospect Sierra @ Pegasus Books

 

Yo, had a chance to speak and read to a bunch of families of the Prospect Sierra School in Berkeley California at Pegasus Books in support of a fundraiser for the school. This was only the second time I've presented about my work in relation to my art book "Art of Rob" and it was well received. Lots of young ones copped the book and I got to do some doodles in their books. 

Some of the topics we discussed in this presentation were:

• The power of representation in kid lit and media
• Literacy and the path to reading for fun
• My art, career timeline, family, and art inspiration
• Diverse Books, self publishing, and the publishing world
• Social justice movements, activism, and art

Pegasus books is an old bookstore based in Berkeley and Oakland. The Solano store has a huge selection of diverse kids books and I'm always like a kid in a candy store when I'm there. Prospect Sierra is an independent or private school in El Cerrito California. I have been doing school visits as a storyteller since 2012 and I worked as an arts teacher from 2002-2010. I don't miss being a teacher, but I do love talking to young people!

Dig this? I've been presenting to, reading to, and speaking with young people in presentations like these for more than a decade. Check out some photos from a public school reading at Bella Vista in Oakland, or Woodland Elementary in Oakland. 

Also, here's is a link to an interview I did for Rightnowish on KQED.

Photos by Prospect Sierra

Bobbito Garcia - Aim high little giant, aim high!

 

Man, shout out to Bobbito Garcia. The OG has a new picture book out called "Aim High Little Giant, Aim High!" published by We Are Little Giants. In this book he touches on self confidence, basketball history, gender, mathematics, and more. Check it out HERE.

I first came across Bob through his pioneering radio show with DJ Stretch Armstrong. I would hear little bits about them and their show but never actually hearing it since it aired in NYC. But, I know they inspired folks like Kevvy Kev at KZSU Stanford and Sway and Tech on the Wake Up Show who I definitely listened to. I would see Bob in Vibe magazine, music videos, on records (Fondle Em) and more. And when i started seeing his documentaries it all came together. Support this dude!

Dig this? Check out this feature of "Alejandria Fights Back" on Social Justice Books

Martín Alberto Gonzalez - Counter Storytelling

In this audio Martín breaks down some really dope ideas about how academia is challenging for first gen college students. He talks about how to empower these students by reminding them of the expertise and knowledge they possess, how to use more multimedia and multimodal approach when making an argument. This involves critical race theory, audio, and story telling!! Listen.

Check out this Oxnard professor's work here. 

Dig this? Check out this interview w/ Laura Briggs
 

Jerry Lawson - Google Doodle + game

 

This is really cool to see this man starting to get his dues and recognition. Props to Google for this one and much love to Jerry's kids Karen and Anderson for continuing to build on their fathers legacy so kids of all kinds can be inspired. More background on Jerry.

Dig this? Check out this painting of Jerry I did

Although this google doodle and others like it are awesome for celebrating hidden figures the fact that Google' workforce has such a tiny Black employee presence is fucked up. Peep this video

Sketchbook pg 4

 

Here's a page from my 2021 sketchbook. In between working for others and dreaming up my own books or projects I keep these sketchbooks to practice. Some of this page came out as a cool experiment and some was just play. 

Here's a video tour of this sketchbook. Enjoy. 

What's a sketchbook page? A sketchbook is a great place to play, experiment, and practice. Been keeping one with me in one form or another for over 25 years. Some books are just for letters, some are for landscapes, some for writing down ideas, some for client work, and sometimes I mix them all up. 

Dig this? Check out my Sketchbook Page 3

Video: Oakland Creates Interview

 

part 1

Here's the first and second part of an interview I did with Oakland Creates founder Avy Jetter. Check it out and come to the Oakland Creates Art, Comics, and Zine show in Oakland this weekend!

Facebook invite

Oakland Creates Art, Comics and Zine Fest began as a vision about bringing folks together through art and giving them an opportunity to present their best selves, learn how to make a living while both interacting and serving their community with positive action. A vision to help empower folks to learn about themselves and develop themselves in multiple areas of the lives whether it’s education, healing, leadership or fulfilling their own art vision.

part 2

Oakland Creates prioritizes women of color, Queer, Disabled, Black artists and or any underrepresented artists whether they be new or emerging artists just starting out or artists that just have not been given proper promotion or marketing. Oakland Creates holds space and gives opportunities to amazing creative folk who have something awesome to say to the world and our local community. Oakland Creates celebrates storytelling and positive engagement. Let’s keep the conversation going. Because if we don’t tell our own stories, then who will?


Time: 11:00am - 5:00pm
Where: OakStop 1721 Broadway, Oakland, CA
Twitter:@Oakland_Creates

IG: @oaklandcreates

Dig this? Check out my episode of Rightnowish w/ Pendarvis Harshaw

Ethnic Studies in Every School 2- Purple

 

Just painted this new joint before the San Jose Made show and LOVE LOVE LOVE how it came out. I get in a rut sometimes and returning to this subject matter and composition really helped me do my thing and get loose. Check out some of the process art for this one below.

If you'd like a print of this bad boy, please visit my shop at THIS LINK

What is Ethnic Studies? Short version is that US history is Eurocentric and throughout time either mis-characterized, ignored, or completely barred stories and history from African American, Native American, Latinxs, and Asian Americans. I throw in Middle Eastern families as well. In the late 60s San Francisco State University (my 1st college) and then UC Berkeley were the first schools in the US to create college departments that housed teachers and courses dedicated to some of this knowledge. And to be frank, it is not just about a diverse we are the world photo. It's a bout understanding systems, power, challenging that, and changing the narrative. And that is why some are terrified of it.

Did you like this? Check out the previous "Ethnic Studies In Every School" painting I did (2019). Oh, and have you ever heard of Dolores Huerta? The Contract Buyers League? What about Marie Butchie Tom?

photo credit: My Momma!

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

My Dad the Bounty Hunter-Trailer

 

Nuff respect to Everett Downing who directed this upcoming animated series. Everett has been working in the biz as an animator, story artist, and director for over 25 years. See his experience here and watch the trailer for this upcoming show!

Dig this? Check out this interview he did w/ the Black Woman Animator or this painting of Brenda Banks

Latinx Owned Bookstores

 

There are over 40 Latinx owned bookstores within the United States and Puerto Rico on this list. Please check it out and support these stores if there's one near you. 

LINK TO Latinx Owned Bookstores

Dig this? Check out this bookstore called LibroMobile in Santa Ana or this drawing of Dolores Huerta

Libro Mobile - Video

 

Libro Mobile is one of very few Latinx owned bookstores I reached out to when "Furqan's First Flat Top" debuted and they graciously carried my book. As the only Latina owned bookstore in Orange County, they serve a crucial role in providing community and knowledge. Please watch the video, follow them on IG, and contribute to their campaign if you can

Campaign LINK

Dig this: Libro Mobile 2018,  The Latinx Comics Arts Festival in Modesto

Children's Portrait 73 - Malayah

 

Here's a portrait I painted recently of this cutie named Malayah, commissioned by her Papa for Mama. Funny story, i actually met this child at a kids book reading I was doing right before I painted her :)

What are these? These are children's portraits I paint custom for aunts, uncles, moms, dads, care givers, families and more. I've been painting them for nearly a decade. They're fun to paint and unique ways of giving someone a gift. Although the majority of these are of children and families, I paint young adults and adults too.

GO HERE TO PURCHASE A PORTRAIT

Wanna see some more portraits like these?

Children's Portrait 71- Cruz

Children's Portrait 70- Xinmei

Children's Portrait 66- Karen's nephews

Children's Portrait 63- Jabreel, Kubwa, & Jahlyl

Video-Oakland Creates interview (snippet)

 

Yo, heres a snippet of a longer interview I did with Oakland Creates founder Avy Jetter! Stay tuned for the whole ting soon and come to the Oakland Creates Art, Comics, and Zine fests happening Dec 4th in Oakland Ca.

Link for more INFO

Dig this? Check out this video describing the event

Adi Oasis - Mystic Lover

 

LOVE this song! Just discovering Adi Oasis or Adeline and man can she play and sing!!! Check her out

If you dig this check out some of the other stuff I'm listening to

Oakland Creates Art, Zine, Comics Fair

 

I'm excited to be one of many artists tabling at this year's Oakland Creates show. It will be my first time attending but I have been hearing about the show through its creator Avy Jetter for many years. Starting several years ago, this show gives artists, artisans, comics & zine makers a way to showcase their work with the people of Oakland. Most of the creators are Oakland based and I'm excited to be there. Check out the drawing I did for this year's merch. 

Oakland Creates Art, Comics and Zine Fest began as a vision about bringing folks together through art and giving them an opportunity to present their best selves, learn how to make a living while both interacting and serving their community with positive action. A vision to help empower folks to learn about themselves and develop themselves in multiple areas of the lives whether it’s education, healing, leadership or fulfilling their own art vision.

Oakland Creates prioritizes women of color, Queer, Disabled, Black artists and or any underrepresented artists whether they be new or emerging artists just starting out or artists that just have not been given proper promotion or marketing. Oakland Creates holds space and gives opportunities to amazing creative folk who have something awesome to say to the world and our local community. Oakland Creates celebrates storytelling and positive engagement. Let’s keep the conversation going. Because if we don’t tell our own stories, then who will?

Time: 11:00am - 5:00pm

Where: OakStop 1721 Broadway, Oakland, CA

Twitter:@Oakland_Creates

IG: @oaklandcreates

Check out this video of creators expressing their love for the show!

Here is the FACEBOOK invite

Here is a GoFund Me fundraising page to support the show

6th Annual "Social Justice Children's Book Holiday Fair

 

Hey fam, it's that time of year! The 6th annual "Social Justice Children's Book Holiday Fair" is upon us. As one of 5 organizers (Laura Atkins, Alejandra Domenzain, Peter Limata, Janine Macbeth, Innosanto Nagara, and me)  I'm excited to invite local kids book makers to share their latest and greatest books with local families, librarians, book sellers, teachers, organizers, and more. While some cringe at the title I know we're proud to bring together authors and illustrators who are progressive minded to one spot so the folks who actually search for their kind of books can find them all in one event. Board books, picture books, middle grade, YA, comics, and more. Check out the flyer I did :)

For this fair we encourage Bipoc, Queer, and Social justice minded kids book creators to table, sometimes read, or perform., and meet their community. This year it will be held again outside in Berkeley Ca. Please invite your folks to this event and check out these links for more info.

FACEBOOK Invite
EVENTBRITE Invite

Dig this? If you've never been check out some photos from previous years or the online fair we did during the pandemic w/ the help of Lydia and Peter of "Storytime w/ Mr Limata"!

Character 165 - Mama Peng

 

I was vibing to a Greentea Peng song and thought it would be cool to paint her as a mama and the performer she is. If you're not familiar with her, check out her music and her videos. She's a talented genre blending artist from the UK who I discovered through the Colors YouTube channel back in 2019. If you dig her music, whats your fav song? Mine is "used to" and "dingaling".

Dig this? Check out my Collage of Characters 2020-2022

and this painting of Rocky Rivera

Sketchbook tour 3

 

Here is my latest sketchbook tour with a book from 2021-2022. 

What are these? This is a video where I flip through my sketchbook and show some of my doodles, drawings, paintings, and ideas in between client and personal work. Watch and share.

    Dig this? Check out a page from this sketchbook or my YouTube channel.

Pinocchio behind the scenes - Drops Dec 9th!

 

Yoo, I'm so excited to see this new Guillermo Del Toro film. Not only because he made it and I dig his work, but because I LOVE STOP MOTION ANIMATION! Check out some of these behind the scenes peaks.

And watch the film when it debuts on Netflix next month.

Dig this? Check out the trailer for Wendell & Wild (Henry Selick/Jordan Peele)

Sketchbook pg 3

 

Here's a few pages from my last sketchbook for 2021-2022. Just finished this pad boy a month ago or so. 

What's a sketchbook page? A sketchbook is a great place to play, experiment, and practice. Been keeping one with me in one form or another for over 25 years. Some books are just for letters, some are for landscapes, some for writing down ideas, some for client work, and sometimes I mix them all up. 

This page is from my most recent sketchbook tour. Check it out here

Dig this? Check out sketchbook pg 2

Oakland Rising Voter Guide-Nov 8th

 

I got the chance to collaborate with an amazing young artist named Luna Yoo to create the artwork for this poster in the 2022 Oakland Rising Voter Guide.

If you're an Oakland resident check it out for recommendations on progressive local measures and mayor, city council, and school board candidates. For example I'm rooting for Greg Hodge, Sheng Thao, and Allyssa Villanueva as the new Oakland mayor.

VOTER GUIDE LINK

Here's some process artwork from this project. Shout out to Oakland Rising for doing hella work to connect every day Oaklanders with information and resources about their city. Respect!

I did the line work and Luna added the beautiful colors to the art. Awesome collaboration! 

Dig this? Check out some artwork I did for Mobilizing the Immigrant Vote

I'm a vendor at San Jose Made 2022

 

Hey, if you're in the South Bay, Central California, or the Bay Area please come to the 2022 San Jose Made Holiday Fair. This will be my third year either attending and/or vending at the event and I invite you to come shop, meet artists, eat, hang out, and play. There will be over 400 vendors selling clothing, art, household items, toys, pottery, sculpture, books, and more. They even had a photo booth and free gifts for the first 500 attendees each day. I'll be there at booth G20 selling kids books, art prints, stickers, and more. 

San Jose Made is a crew of artists and entrepreneurs who support small businesses and local artists through yearly fairs, markets, pop ups, and storefront events in the San Jose and Santa Clara area.  Please visit their website and follow them on Instagram.

Check out some photos from last year. My wifey helped me set up:)

Photos by me and the SJ Made team

Dig this? Check out my post last year

Storytime Friends

 

Hey yall, I’m happy to be a part of a new crew called STORYTIME FRIENDS w/ Peter Limata, Angela Dalton, Michael Genhart, Meera Sriram, and Alex Giardino, a community-centered project that brings the joy of picture books to children’s hospitals. STORYTIME FRIENDS features a video-recorded read-aloud series, related art activities, and book give-aways. For its inaugural year, the project has partnered with UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital and more than forty authors and illustrators. The series host Mr. Peter Limata kicks everything off on November 4 with a video read-aloud of Dr. Rachel Remen’s The Birthday of the World, which will be aired at the hospital for the children. My book "Alejandria Fights Back" will be featured later in the series along with 40 author/illustrators across the Bay Area!! 

More info at storytimefriendsread.com OR you can follow their IG at @storytimefriendsseries

Stay tuned for more info!

Children's Portrait 72- V

 

This is V who I also painted as one of the gift tier's for my "Art of Rob" book commissioned by her Mama. I don't have much of the process for painting this one but still dig how it came out.

What are these? These are children's portraits I paint custom for aunts, uncles, moms, dads, care givers, families and more. I've been painting them for nearly a decade. They're fun to paint and unique ways of giving someone a gift. Although the majority of these are of children and families, I paint young adults and adults too.

GO HERE TO PURCHASE A PORTRAIT

Wanna see some more portraits like these?
Children's Portrait 71- Cruz
Children's Portrait 70- Xinmei

Children's Portrait 66- Karen's nephews

Children's Portrait 63- Jabreel, Kubwa, & Jahlyl

Children's Portrait 71 - Cruz

Here's a portrait of my friend Nikki's son Cruz. Nikki was the first person to commission me to do a portrait of her daughter Mia way back in 2012. Check it out here.

What are these? These are children's portraits I paint custom for aunts, uncles, moms, dads, care givers, families and more. I've been painting them for nearly a decade. They're fun to paint and unique ways of giving someone a gift. Although the majority of these are of children and families, I paint young adults and adults too.


GO HERE TO PURCHASE A PORTRAIT

The last portrait I painted was of my god daughter Xinmei. And here are some collages of children's paintings too:

2012-2014

2017-2020

2020-2022