 We are excited to interview debut picture book author Kortney Nash on our blog today! Her book, Tell Me About Juneteenth, illustrated by Deandra Hodge was recently released. Read more about it here: KLiC: What was your inspiration for Tell Me About Juneteenth? Kortney Nash: I’ve always loved a good block party, and I really wanted to capture that joy within this book––being surrounded by family, friends, and neighbors while under the sun eating good food and running around is such a special feeling that I hold dear from my own childhood. So I found a lot of inspiration in that sense of nostalgia when bringing this story to life. I’m from Los Angeles, and there’s nothing like celebrating Juneteenth in Leimert Park just in terms of the energy and excitement, so I wanted to capture a bit of that as well because that’s where most of my adult Juneteenth memories have taken place. KLiC: What are your favorite illustrations in the book? KN: This is such a tough question! I adore every single illustration in the book, and truly couldn’t be more overjoyed with the way Deandra brings this story to life. There is one spread toward the end of the book that I’m particularly fond of, where we get to see the kids in the book running around through the fire hydrant spray. There’s so much joy on that page, and it feels like readers can really experience the relief of playing in cold water on a hot summer day. Whenever I show this book to friends and family the first thing they do is talk about how fantastic the art is and I have to agree whole-heartedly––there’s something to love about every single spread in this book which makes reading it extra fun! KLiC: What’s the one thing you want children to take away from your book? KN: I want children to feel empowered after reading this story. My hope is that this both builds excitement about the celebratory aspect of Juneteenth while also teaching kids about the history behind the holiday in an accessible way. With all of the book banning happening, and so much censorship of American and world history taking place in schools, I feel really thankful to have the opportunity to share this book with young readers at this specific moment in time. KLiC: What’s next for you? KN: I am not entirely sure yet! I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and a lot of writing to try to and come up with my next idea. Right now, I think I’m just super stoked that this book is actually out in the world––I wrote the first draft of the manuscript in 2023, so it’s been really gratifying to see this go from an idea to an actual book that can be held and enjoyed by others. I’m looking forward to sitting down and writing some more stories soon, probably similarly inspired by childhood memories:-) Kortney Nash is from Los Angeles and has celebrated many Juneteenths in Leimert Park. Tell Me About Juneteenth is her first picture book. When not writing, she can be found cross stitching or trying out new recipes in the kitchen. Learn more here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250908797/tellmeaboutjuneteenth/   Valerie Bolling was thrilled to have the opportunity to interview her agent sister, Pamela Courtney, about her debut picture book, A Season for Fishin’: A Fish Fry Tradition. Let’s learn more about this beautiful book… VB: Pam, I’m so excited for your debut. What’s your one-liner to describe this book? PC: Chér and Papéré reel in a skillet full of Louisiana fun as the start of still water fishin’ and the flavors of the season’s first fish fry get underway... Let the Cane River fish fry begin. Howeeee! Sounds like fish fry Friday. VB: That’s a great description. I’m sure some readers are craving fried fish now. Tell us how this fish fry story came to be. PC: This book began as a poem in Renée LaTulippe’s Lyrical Language Lab class as part of a collection of poems for a novel in verse. However, it was suggested the poem would be a cool children’s book and that I had to add a young protagonist. All of my childhood memories of running from house to house on Friday evenings tasting the neighbors’ fried fare poured. I didn’t, couldn’t, move until my protagonist caught and ate her catch. I wrote the draft in one sitting. This does not happen often. But when it does, y’all . . . it's pure magic. Now, it has to be noted there were revisions after my completed first draft. I don’t like revising. However, my editor challenged me to add heightened depth to my character. So, I dug deeper. I researched for a second element that would add a new perspective to my character’s—well, character. Here's where I began adding layers to my character. My character wanted to be part of this family tradition of still water fishin’. What really is still water fishing? What would it mean to participate in this tradition? My character wanted to bring home a batch of bream for Maméré. What would this mean for the character’s standing in the family if she failed? What exactly are bream? The only thing I knew about bream is that it’s one of my mama’s favorite panfried fish. And the one thing my character needed to go still water fishin’ and catch some bream was a cane fishing pole. But what would that pole look like? AND how can it connect to this tradition? I researched everything. Oddly enough, through my research, I found so many interesting facts. I was having fun! Revision Fun Fact—During revision, I learned that bamboo, what we call river cane, is native to my part of Louisiana. That’s what many use to make the fishing poles. As a child, I thought cane fishing poles were ONLY made from sugar cane stalks. VB: It’s really interesting to hear about your process, Pam. I didn’t realize how much research you did for the book, and you seem to have had a clear vision for it. Did the illustrator’s vision match yours? Were there any sweet surprises? PC: I fell in love the first time I saw my character’s sweet face. So much joy. There are some places where the movement and energy leap off the page. Toni Chambers shares her vision through these rich, saturated colors. Now in my mind, I envisioned this story in pastels (think E. B. Lewis). In hind-sight, no way would that work with the text. Having said that, I’m so glad I was not the illustrator. What Toni brought to this story is so much more than what my writer’s eye could ever see. Now, one of my favorite images in the book is . . . no, wait. I have several favorite moments that Toni gifted. I loveLoveLOVE that she gave our character this layered quirkiness by giving her a pair of yellow galoshes and purple hair. Imagine the personality of this kid in yellow Wellies fishing off the riverbank of Ol’ Cane River. Imagine! The next thing that almost brought me to tears was the matching overalls and striped shirts that the character and her papéré wore. There is no way I would ever have thought of showing their bond, their intimacy, in that sweet, sweet, yet oh-so-familiar way. Everyone knows that families down south love any occasion to dress alike. LOL. I enjoyed the story Toni delivered. VB: It's obvious that you love Toni’s illustrations and the sweet details she added to the story. How do you hope young readers will experience this book? What suggestions do you have for parents and teachers who read this book to children? PC: I wrote this book to share my multicultural experience in my rural Louisiana. I grew up speaking in a way I thought was purely unique to southern, Black American culture. However, the language of my childhood crisscrosses so many groups of people. Page after page shows that Black people are not a monolith. That’s important. Having said that, there are so many fun activities that can accompany this read aloud. Sharing the rich, yet complicated history of my hometown will be a fascinating lesson about powerful women in industry, the impact our waterways had on the nation’s economy, the influences of African, Tribal, and European peoples can be explored through food—so let’s cook up some Louisiana fare. Explore the sounds by sharing the multicultural blends of Zydeco music. Engage in the culture of the Mardi-Gras parade. This book demands you to have fun when creating activities. Laissez le bons temps rouler! VB: Wow, Pam! This book is such a treat! What book(s) can we look forward to next from you? PC: I have a book coming out in Fall 2026 called Freedom’s Eve: A Story of Watch Night. I am working on a piece of little-known American history, a biography, and a rhyming nonfiction story I’m excited for y’all to learn all about. But you’ll have to wait for those. VB: We’ll look forward to Freedom’s Eve next year and your future titles. Thanks so much for chatting with me, Pam, on the KidLit in Color blog. A Season for Fishin’: A Fish Fry Tradition is available wherever books are sold. Pam encourages readers to support their local bookstore.  Pam’s Louisiana upbringing inspired her 2025 spring publication, A Season of Fishin’—A Fish Fry Tradition, Macmillan (FSG) and nurtured her life’s passion of writing, teaching, and enjoying culturally diverse music. Combining these loves Pam created MyLMNOP,
a literacy and music program for early learners. With nearly three decades as an early childhood practitioner and elementary school teacher, Pam brings the eyes of an educator to each narrative she crafts, as she engages children in history, folklore, and the mysticism of her rural Louisiana culture. “My duty is great,” states Pam. “I’m a writer who teaches. I’m a teacher who writes.” Pam is the recipient of WeNeedDiverseBooks Mentorship, Highlights Diversity Fellowship, and the WeNeedDiverseBooks Walter Dean Myers Grant. Pam also serves as faculty for the Highlights Foundation. For more about Pam and her books... Website: https://www.pamelacourtney.com/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/pamismylmnop.bsky.social IG: https://www.instagram.com/pam_is_mylmnop/ Threads: https://www.threads.com/@pam_is_mylmnop TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pam_is_mylmnop?lang=en  KLiC: What sparked your interest in doing Lighthouse Ladies? I appreciated Kris Coronado's approach to non-fiction. I enjoy learning about niche topics, and I love storytelling. Kris’s writing offers the best of both worlds in a captivating and fun way. Lighthouse Ladies shares four incredible lives, but you only get a glimpse before the wind and waves whisk you away to the next. It leaves the reader wanting more, which I think is always a good sign in non-fiction. I wanted to be part of that magic. KLiC: Please tell us about your art process? All of Lighthouse Ladies was illustrated digitally using Procreate. This was my first time lifting scenes directly from the text to inform the artwork. Because I understood what each spread was asking of me, most of my process involved finding fun and adventurous ways to approach each scene. These lighthouse keepers were always on the move, and I wanted readers to feel that energy with every page turn.  KLiC: What kind of research did you do for Lighthouse Ladies? By the time I was invited to join the project, Kris had already done extensive research, including providing reference images. I was set up for success thanks to her and our wonderful art director, Kate O'Sullivan, before I even began. KLiC: What are your favorite illustrations in the book? There are many illustrations I’m proud of throughout the book, but the one I want to highlight is the opening image of Venus Parker. As a Black woman living in the late 1800s, there are no documented images of her. I had plenty of visual references for the other women, but here was the only one of them who was a person of color—and she was faceless. I had to create an image for her based on historical research about how a woman in her time might have looked, and I did so with the greatest care I could offer. At times, this book felt like an act of preservation. In the case of Venus Parker, that feeling hit tenfold. I’m proud of her spread.  KLiC: What's next for you? I have two other picture books coming out this year: Sunshine Baby, Bofrot Cheeks by Bernard Mensah in July, and Come Catch a Dream by Brittany J. Thurman in November. Please look forward to those as well!  Islena Mil is an Afro-Latina Illustrator based in NYC, specializing in conceptual problem-solving and thoughtful storytelling. Her work is easily recognized by her use of engaging composition, detailed line-work, texture, and vibrant color. She aims to transport her readers to another world. isleniamil.com IG: isleniamil Name: Islenia Mil
Author: Kris Coronado Book Title: Lighthouse Ladies: Shining a Spotlight on Hardy Heroines Publisher Name: Harper Collins Date published: May 27th 2025 Illustrator full name: Islenia Milien (but professionally known as Islenia Mil)  KLiC: What was your inspiration for Ripening Time? This story, inspired by my childhood, is about a little girl who is waiting across a week for plantains to ripen. It’s a celebration of food and family and connecting across generations. My parents are Jamaican immigrants, and I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, a place where—at the time—it wasn’t always easy to find plantains. My mother used to go to the grocery store across town in search of plantains, sometimes finding the food we longed to eat. Their presence in our home was always a special treat. Waiting for those green plantains to ripen was so hard, but that ripening time produced the very taste I wanted to eat! Given that background, Ripening Time was the perfect title! KLiC: Please tell us about your writing process. How long did it take you to write and sell this book? I first drafted this book in the autumn of 2021. I wanted to tell a story connected to a beloved food in my life, and I was also interested in creating a book structured around the days of the week. The ripening of plantains felt like the perfect fit. It took me another six to eight months after that first draft to finish the manuscript because I struggled to bring the story to a satisfactory ending. Sometimes the ideas are there, but the ending isn’t! Working with wonderful picture book writing coach, Rona Shirdan, helped me get that manuscript over the finish line! Sometimes we just need a solid outside voice to speak into our work. The manuscript sold to WorthyKids in the summer of 2022.  KLiC: What are your favorite illustrations in the book? There is an absolutely gorgeous spread that takes place on Friday in the story. The plantains are almost ripe and the family is dancing in celebration. I love all the vibrant colors Carlos Vélez Aguilera brought into this illustration. They bring such happiness. During school visits, I love to talk with the children about how we can feel the excitement and joy because of the colors! And this book is full of such joy. This illustration perfectly captures that emotion present across the entire book! KLiC: Do you have any tips for pre-published authors? The journey to publication can sometimes be such a strange thing, and I think it matters that we: 1) connect with community that understands the work that we do; people who can encourage us and we can encourage as well, 2) keep learning—whether through reading craft books and mentor texts, taking classes, attending webinars, etc. and 3) believe that the work we create matters in the world; that our work adds beauty to the world.  KLiC: What’s next for you? I just wrapped up my second season of my podcast Picture Books Are for Grown-ups, Too! It’s such fun, but it’s also quite a bit of work, so I’m excited to take a little rest from that. In addition, I’m thrilled that my next picture book, Beyond Alaska’s Window, illustrated by Monica Mikai, will release with Viking in 2026. Inspired, once again, by my life, it’s the story of a Jamaican family in Alaska who eats the same Jamaican meal every Sunday across the changing seasons. This story is so close to my heart, and I loved creating a book I wish the child version of me had a chance to read decades ago.  Patrice Gopo is the child of Jamaican immigrants and was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. She is an award-winning essayist and the author of multiple picture books, including Ripening Time and All the Places We Call Home. Patrice lives with her family in North Carolina, where one taste of fried plantains immediately takes her back to some of the sweetest moments in her childhood. Please visit patricegopo.com to learn more.
Name: Patrice Gopo Book Title: Ripening Time Publisher Name and Date published: WorthyKids/Hachette; April 22, 2025 Illustrator full name: Carlos Vélez Aguilera |
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