Cover Reveal! Ride, Roll, Run: Time for Fun! by Valerie Bolling

We are happy to reveal the cover of KidLit in Color author Valerie Bolling's new picture book, Ride, Roll, Run, which will be published on October 4, 2022 by Abrams. Fellow KidLit in Color author Aya Khalil interviewed Valerie about her book. With sparse text—the book has only 30 words—Valerie has kept her responses to my questions brief, as well.

What does the cover say? 

First of all, shout-out to Sabrena Khadija for the amazing illustrations! Doesn’t she have such a beautiful, unique style? 

The cover says Community, Diversity, and Joy, which is evident in all of my books. I hope people also feel the characters’ energy and excitement that emanates from the cover.

Why should folks read this book? 

Ride, Roll, Run will be a walk down Memory Lane for adults, and children will enjoy seeing activities that they like to play. 

I hope people will have fun with the cadence of the rhyme and be inspired to do something fun after reading the book – realizing the possibilities for frolic that surround them daily.

And here is our cover reveal!

What’s Next? 

Together We Ride (illustrated by Kaylani Juanita and published by Chronicle) will release on April 26, 2022. Next year, there will be sequels to Together We Ride and Ride, Roll, Run, as well as my Scholastic early reader series. 

Currently, I’m revising my first chapter book and hoping to get the series published.

Valerie Bolling's debut, Let's Dance! (SCBWI Crystal Kite Award winner and Connecticut Book Award finalist), was published in 2020, and she’s happy to welcome Together We Ride (illustrated by Kaylani Juanita) and Ride, Roll, Run: Time for Fun! (illustrated by Sabrena Khadija) in 2022. Sequels to these books as well as a Scholastic early reader series (illustrated by Kai Robinson) are slated for 2023.

Valerie has been an educator for almost 30 years, teaches classes at Westport Writers Workshop, and is a WNDB mentor. She is deeply immersed in the kidlit writing community, particularly involved with SCBWI, the 12X12 Picture Book Challenge, and Black Creators HeadQuarters.

linktr.ee/ValerieBolling