We begin our Black History Month celebration with 12 x 12 member and author Valerie Bolling, who talks about reinventing her writing as a means to expand on her love of writing picture books and reach more young readers. In this interview, we get to dive into all the ways Valerie keeps growing and challenging herself to write different types of stories—and we hope she challenges you along the way.

You'll discover:

• Why she writes in different picture genres and styles
• How important it is for kids to see themselves in our stories
• Why branding yourself isn't always necessary
• Why Valerie writes some stories in prose and some in rhyme
• The benefits of being a 12 x 12 member
• The importance of reading picture books—and not just to your kids
• Why she recommends joining 12 x 12
• What prompts Valeire to give back to the picture book writing community
• The one negative about 12 x 12
• The book she wishes she wrote

Books mentioned in this episode:

• Let's Dance by Valerie Bolling and Maine Diaz
• Bing Bop Bam, Time to Jam! by Valerie Bolling and Sabrena Khadija
• Together We Swim by Valerie Bolling and Kaylani Juanita
• Together We Ride by Valerie Bolling and Kaylani Juanita
• I See Color: An Affirmation of our Diverse
• A Flea for Justice: Marian Wright Edelman Stands Up for Change by Valerie Bolling and TeMika Grooms
• The March for Hope by Valerie Bolling and Monica Mikai
• A Season for Fishin' by Pamela Courtney and Toni D. Chambers
• My Heart Speaks Kriolu by Stefanie Foster Brown and Keisha Morris
• Daddy Daughter Dance by Malcolm Newsome and Jenin Mohammed
• The Six Triple Eight: A True Story of the Black Woman Battalion of World War II by Tonya Abari and Lance Evans
• Prayer Is by Tameka Fryer Brown and Alleanna Harris
• Riding Magic by Kelly Starling Lyons and E.B. Lewis
• That Flag by Tameka Fryer Brown and Nikkolas Smith

Get a 25% discount on Valerie's webinar: How to Use Tension to Create Captivating Picture Books. Click here!

Get 25% off Tameka Fryer Brown's webinar Picture Book Range: Writing Across Styles and Topics

Sign up for the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge by February 15th! Click here!