My Why

I am inspired by children everyday because I have the privilege of teaching in an elementary school. That is when the lightbulb came on. Students want to read books where the characters look like them.  People of color, especially blacks, are disproportionately represented in children’s literature. As an African-American elementary teacher, I want to change that dynamic. I have created Taylor’d Tales to combat this issue.  My books are centered around characters that are underrepresented in children’s books.

  Students want to read about situations that are similar to their experiences. My books address social emotional issues and break stereotypes that are often perpetuated through texts by authors that have not walked in the shoes of a person of color. Teachers want to have read alouds that are not only engaging, but that can also be teaching tools. And this is when Taylor’d Tales came to be. I wanted to create these exciting and engaging stories that are curriculum enriched and can be used as teaching tools in the classroom. I have woven in vocabulary enhancing skills, comprehension and writing prompts into each story. 

Not only will the stories be culturally inclusive, but they will be enriching educationally. These books will not only be helpful in classrooms. Families across the country will be able to engage in conversations based on the emotions evoked and text connections created by Taylor'd Tales. The manuscripts are completed and the illustrations, by my amazing illustrator Mekenzie, are almost done. It is time for Taylor'd Tales to go into print. These funds will be used to trademark my brand. In addition, I will use the funding to assure I have all the tools needed to create beautiful books both printed and digital. I just want to thank everyone who believes in my dream of creating diverse books that can hopefully change lives in an impactful and positive way!