Tonya Duncan Ellis - They Built Me For Freedom

KidLit in Color author, Valerie Bolling, was thrilled to have the opportunity to speak to Tonya Duncan Ellis about her debut picture book, They Built Me for Freedom. Let’s learn more about this special book…
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Tonya, what inspired you to write They Built Me for Freedom? 

I started out writing for children with chapter books and self-published the Sophie Washington series, which has sold over 175,000 copies. During the pandemic, I wrote a middle grade novel manuscript that won an SCBWI conference prize. The agent who selected my book asked if I also write picture books, because she said my writing has a lyrical quality. Intrigued, I started learning more about picture books, and I fell in love with the genre. 
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On a visit to Houston’s Emancipation Park, the site of the first Juneteenth celebration, I got chills thinking about my ancestors commemorating their newfound freedom on the very ground I was walking. I felt like this was a story that needed to be told, and I began research that led to the first draft of They Built Me for Freedom. 

I love that you started out writing self-published chapter books and then moved on to traditionally published picture books. What inspired you to tell the story of Emancipation Park? How long did it take to write and sell this book? 

This project moved pretty quickly. I spent around three hours writing the first draft of the manuscript a week after visiting Emancipation Park and doing research. I shared that manuscript at a Highlights Foundation virtual summer camp during the pandemic and made some updates, which took an hour or two. Then I shared that version in a critique group and worked another hour making a few more additions. My agent, Sara Megibow of kt Literary, who had taken me on as a client with my middle grade novel manuscript, rejected my initial version of They Built Me for Freedom, which told the story of a little girl visiting the park. I reworked the story, personifying the park, and she liked that version. All totaled, I probably spent around seven hours writing and revising the They Built Me for Freedom draft that was shopped to editors. Two to three weeks after the manuscript was sent out on submission, it got a purchase offer, which I accepted.

It's always interesting to hear a story’s journey and to learn how it changed throughout the process. By the way, personifying the park was a brilliant change. What are your favorite illustrations in the book?
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Illustrator, Jenin Mohammed, did a phenomenal job on the images. I was blown away when I first saw her colored illustrations and teared up in the grocery store line after I opened my phone there and glimpsed the final cover. I truly love all the illustrations, but my favorites are the spread with the grandmother and child looking at the ancestors in the clouds and the image of the protestors. 

I agree that Jenin’s illustrations are magnificent. What do you want kids to take away from your book, Tonya? 

Besides learning about different aspects of Juneteenth and facts about Houston’s Emancipation Park, I want kids to understand that there is history all around us. My hope is that after reading They Built Me for Freedom, children will become more interested in learning about historical spaces in their communities. 

I, too, hope children are motivated to learn more about history that isn’t always discussed in their classrooms. Do you have any tips for pre-published authors? 

Establishing a writing habit and perfecting your craft are important, but make sure to build your writing community as you continue along your publishing journey. Publishing is a roller coaster ride of emotional highs and lows. Getting an agent, landing a book contract, and marketing your book once it’s finished are experiences that elicit anxiety, stress, frustration, depression, envy and many other difficult feelings, along with the celebrations. Support from empathetic creatives who understand what you’re going through gives you the strength to continue when times get tough. 

Great advice Tonya! What’s up next for you? 
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I’m contracted to write another, not yet announced, historical picture book with HarperCollins, and I’m working on a couple of other picture books. I’ve got some ideas for a new middle grade brewing, which I’m hoping to begin writing this fall.

We’ll look forward to seeing these projects published. Thanks so much for stopping by the KidLit in Color blog and chatting with me, Tonya.

They Built Me for Freedom is available wherever books are sold. Tonya encourages readers to support their local bookstore. ​

Tonya Duncan Ellis is author THEY BUILT ME FOR FREEDOM: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston’s Emancipation Park, the bestselling, award-winning, Sophie Washington chapter book series and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), the Authors Guild, Black Creators HQ and the Brown Bookshelf’s Highlights Foundation Sponsored Amplify Black Stories storyteller cohort.

For more about Tonya and her books, please visit:
Website: www.tonyaduncanellis.com
Facebook: @tonyaellisbooks
X: @TonyaDEllis
Instagram: @tonyaellisbooks