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

We're The People- Summer 2017 reading list

Excited to have "Furqan's First" featured among some great authors and illustrators for this summer 2017 reading list. You can download a pdf and or share it with your folks. Check out the great books on this list, especially "My Night in The Planetarium" by Innosanto Nagara.

LINK

Furqan's First Flat Top UPDATE 20 (where you can buy the book AZ-DC)

Ashay By The Bay now has a shop in Oakland. Go to 1411 Webster Street, Oakland, California 94589

Ok, here are some awesome bookstores run by independent families and creatives where you can purchase "Furqan's First Flat Top". Also, for those who would like to get the book into your library locally, you can tell your library that the book is available through "Brodart Company" which sells books directly to libraries nationwide! So, go to your local library or bookstore and request it please. Also, go to these independent bookstores and patronize them, so that we continue to have bookstores run by people.

In New Orleans, you can purchase the book at "Community Book Center" 2523 Bayou Rd, New Orleans, LA 70119 or on facebook.

St.Louis-Missouri Please go to https://www.eyeseeme.com/ 7827 Olive Blvd, University City, MO 63130

Berkeley, CA-Go to http://mrmopps.net/books/ 1405 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Berkeley, CA 94709

Also in Berkeley, CA- www.mrsdalloways.com 2904 College Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705

Phoenix, Arizona- www.palabrasbookstore.com 1023 Grand Ave b, Phoenix, AZ 85007

Baltimore, Maryland- https://redemmas.org 30 W North Ave, Baltimore, MD 21201

Washington D.C. - www.sankofa.com/ 2714 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001

Online/International- www.Booklandiabox.com A bilingual subscription service for spanish 

readers/learners

If you're in the town (Oakland) you can also get the book at E14 gallery run by the East Side fam. Go to https://www.e14gallery.com 472 Ninth St Oakland, CA 94607

National distributor-www.brodart.com/ Based in Williamsport Pennsylvania they have been doing books for over 

75 years. Hereyou can get your local library to purchase books from through them. Some folks like to 

purchase through a distributor, so there you go.

If any one has questions about getting the book or getting it into your local spot please email me at 

info@robdontstop.com

And please share the book trailer with your folks.

Furqan's First Flat Top UPDATE 19-ACL

There are times when you're not sure if the folks you are sending your work to will be able to "see" your work but I was excited last year when I found that my book not only got into one of my local library systems, but that now the association is giving Furqan's First props is amazing. Read the review and reviews of other books here.

And check out the other books from up and comers to OG's in kids literature on the page, specifically Laura Atkins' book she co-authored with Stan Yogi about Fred Korematsu.

And if you havent already please request Furqan's First at your local library, store, school, doctor's office, day care center, etc. Peace!

VIDEO: Furqan's First Book trailer

San Francisco Public Library-We love diverse books

So I just read at the San Francisco Public library last week and Im thrilled to be a part of this amazing first year of "We love diverse books" program that is bringing in lots of cool books and authors. Please check out the image originally painted by Blood Orange Press founder Janine Macbeth.

 

To see some of the other authors or to find out more information go here.

Also, check out the article the SF Chronicle did about it so far. BIG shout out to Cristina Mitra who invited me to come read my book to the kids.

SF Chronicle article

Furqan's First Flat Top UPDATE 18- Latinxs in Kid Lit

Got an awesome book review from the good folks over at Latinxs in Kid Lit. If you haven't seen their site please go and check out the many sections and reviews they have highlighting Latinx authors/illustrators and their books. Check it out eh? Shout out to Sujei!!

LINK

Also, yo please check out the Latinxs in Kid Lit 2016 best books, Furqan's First is on the list among some OGs in the business/community. 

Free shipping til Jan 1st

If you want to cop some art, prints, or Furqan's First please go to this LINK and use the code GREAT55

Furqan's First Flat Top UPDATE 17 (where you can buy the book OR-TX)

The following stores are spots where you can purchase Furqan's First Flat Top"

Black Wagon- Portland Oregon

Giant Robot- Japantown (LA), California

Mi Vida Boutique- Highland Park (LA), California

A Different Booklist- Toronto, Ontario

Brazos Bookstore- Houston, Texas

Blue Stockings- New York, NY

Hello folks, this is the most recent line up of independent stores who now carry the book. Please support brick and mortar stores!! Go buy it there. If its not in your city, let me know whats the coolest book store in town. If you have a friend there, hook it up. I'll do my best to get the book on their shelves.

This will probably be the last Furqan update for the year. For those unaware, I self published a children's book called "Furqan's First Flat Top" with a team of talented folks and a whole mess of help from supporters on kickstarter. The book came out in May and I have been to many schools and events reading the book, selling it, and talking about it. Occasionally I am meeting new folks who are also interested in creating their own. If any of you have questions for me feel free to ask here in the comments or via email at info@robdontstop.com . More unheard voices from the margins please.

The book trailer in case you want to show it to your local bookstore owner, teacher, organization, etc.

Laurel Bookstore - Showing original art

Hey all this Saturday after Life is Living I will be showing some original art from "Furqan's First Flat Top" at Laurel Bookstore in downtown Oakland. If you can make it, come through and see some of the paintings up close and personal. I will be selling prints from the book there as well. 

FACEBOOK LINK

Address: 1423 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612

Furqan's First Flat Top UPDATE 16 -Where you can buy the book (NYC-CA)

So I've been slowly getting the book into some other spots online and actual brick and mortar stores. For you folks who dont live in the Bay Area or NYC there are some other places where you can cop the book online such as Ashay by The Bay (Cali) and UGHH-Underground Hip Hop (Mass). So here are the new spots where you can purchase the book. If you'd like to purchase the book from me directly, either regular price or wholesale for libraries, stores, and organizations who promote literacy.

1. Strand Books in Manhattan, New York

2. Word Up Community Bookstore in Washington heights

3. UGHH Online-Underground Hip Hop Site based in Massachusetts

4. Rare Device in San Francisco

5. Pegasus Book on Solano ave in Berkeley

6. Underground Books in Sacramento, Ca (Black owned bookstore!)

And shout out to two organizations promoting literacy that purchased the book to give away to their constituencies. Egleston Square out there in Boston/Roxbury Massachusetts and Tandem Bay Area based in Oakland. Please support these independent book, online stores, and non profit organizations.

 


And if you still have not seen the book trailer, please watch it and share with potential libraries or bookstores who'd dig the story.

Furqan's First Flat Top UPDATE 12 - Great Blog reviews

Yoo, so far I have been reaching out to media, blogs, radio, and tv. It is super difficult to get a review with anyone and some people just flat out don't get it. And many in the publishing world don't care, which explains why it looks the way it does as a whole. It's ok the change is coming and I will continue to seek out those who "get it" because I know they're out there. Case in point, here are two awesome book reviews; one who I reached out to and one that came to my story. So much gratitude to these two great bloggers/ book lovers.

1. At Home Librarian! By Elizabeth Wroten

This is such an awesome blog with tons of book reviews of all types of books. Grateful for Elizabeth's words because she "gets it". 

2. The Nerds of Color by Shawn Taylor

Wow, I have been following this blog for quite awhile and love that they pull no punches in calling out bullshit and at the same time highlighting and celebrating great work. Shawn "gets it" too.

Please check out both of these blogs and share the posts that you like.

Furqan's First Flat Top UPDATE 10- Univision TV interview

I was on UNIVISION 19 (TV Channel) in Sacramento today thx to Univision and the teachers from my son's school. Was nervous as hell, but managed to mumble through it ok. Hopefully just 1 parent who might identify w/ "Furqan's First Flat Top" saw it. For that I would be thankful. Please watch here.

Yo estaba en la canal Univision 19 hoy en Sacramento. Gracias a Univison y las maestras de la escuela de mu hio por este oportunidad. Yo estaba bien nervioso, pero yo puedia hablar...mas o menos. Espero que una mama o papa lo vi y puede identificar con "El Primer corte de Mesita de Furqan". Por eso yo estaria agradecido. Por favor, ver lo aqui.

You can purchase the book at FurqansFirst.com

Tu puedes comprar el libro aqui en FurqansFirst.com

UPDATE: The book is currently sold out, but check out Alejandria Fights Back/La Lucha de Alejandria by Leticia Hernandez-Linares and "Rise Home Stories Project" or We are Yoga/Somos Yoga by Jill Guerra; both of which I illustrated.

Dig this? I was once featured in Mother Magazine as one of 30 Black illustrators of kids books! Además, here's an interview I did with writer/poet Leticia Hernandez-Linares on Latinxs in Kid Lit about our book "La Lucha de Alejandria/ Alejandria Fights Back".

Furqan's First Flat Top UPDATE 9-Where you can buy the book (SF-Oakland-East Bay)

Peace everyone, I have been doing my best to get the last of the books to the kickstarter backers. Most of them are done. A few more to go. If you're a backer and haven't received the book, please hit me up. Ok, this is a very short list of the bookstores that currently have copies of "Furqan's First Flat Top" on hand. Please support these independent book stores by purchasing the book there. If you have a favorite bookstore from your city or country, please list it in the comments or email me. If you would like to purchase the book from me directly you can do that here.

My email: info@robdontstop.com

Marcus Books In Oakland

Laurel Cyclery in Oakland

Laurel Books in Oakland

Ashay By The Bay East Bay/ Bay Area

Walden Pond Books in Oakland

Modern Times Bookstore in San Francisco

Luna's Press & Bookstore in San Francisco

Pegasus in Downtown Berkeley