Kaylani Juanita – Illustratör

An exuberant debut picture book about a little girl trying to outmaneuver her mama to avoid wash day for her hair—and all the laughs and love her antics inspire—illustrated by Coretta Scott King Honor winner Kaylani Juanita. The perfect next read for fans of Hair Love and Don’t Touch My Hair.Nina Belle loves everything about her hair. Everything . . . except wash day.Wash day is painful! Wash day is boring! She won’t do it this week . . . no way!Nina Belle has plans to get out of the weekly routine, but Mama knows her way around wash day too—and maybe even the secret to enjoying it. No Way, Wash Day is a cheeky and heartfelt look at a cultural touchstone and the time-honored tradition of trying and failing to thwart it.

Magnificent Homespun Brown is an exploration of the natural world and family bonds through the eyes of young, mixed raced heroines—a living, breathing, dazzlingly multi-faceted, exuberant masterpiece, firmly grounded in a sense of self-worth and belonging. This is a story—a poem, a song, a celebration—­about feeling at home in one’s own beloved skin.If Walt Whitman were reborn as a young woman of colour, this is the book he might write. With vivid illustrations by Kaylani Juanita, Samara Cole Doyon sings a carol for the plenitude that surrounds us and the self each of us is meant to inhabit.

A little girl stays home with Mama when Mummy goes off on a work trip in this tender, inviting story that will resonate with every child who has missed a parent.For one little girl, there’s no place she’d rather be than sitting between Mama and Mummy. So when Mummy goes away on a work trip, it’s tricky to find a good place at the table. As the days go by, Mama brings her to the library, they watch films, and all of them talk on the phone, but she still misses Mummy as deep as the ocean and as high as an astronaut up in the stars. As they pass by a beautiful garden, the girl has an idea ... but when Mummy finally comes home, it takes a minute to shake off the empty feeling she felt all week before leaning in for a kiss. Michael L. Printz Award winner Nina LaCour thoughtfully renders a familiar, touching story of a child who misses a parent, illustrated by Kaylani Juanita, whose distinctive style brings charm and playfulness to this delightful family of three.

Told from the loving perspective of a mother of a child with autism, Next Level shows the full humanity of people who move through the world and communicate in their own unique, complete, and powerful way. Doyon's powerful love letter to her son invites us to "level up" and see our shared humanity in new and limitless dimensions.

Jabari Jumps meets Hair Love in this encouraging ode to a mother and son's relationship and those first swimming lessons. Jumping into the water can be more than a little scary! But with Mom's steady arms there's no fear of sinking. With a kick, a splash, and his family's cheers of encouragement, one determined boy finds his groove, making waves in this fun-filled day at the pool. Embrace the feeling of accomplishment in this joyous, reassuring story about perseverance and new experiences. With lyrical rhyming text and vibrant illustrations, Together We Swim is destined to become a family read-aloud favorite!

Now in paperback! A loving portrait of a father-daughter relationship and the unforgettable experience of a child's first bike ride.  Learning to ride is no easy feat! But with a little courage, a guiding hand from her dad, and an enthusiastic bark from her pup, one brave girl quickly learns the freedom that comes from an afternoon spent outside on a bike.Experience the fear, the anticipation, and the delight of achieving the ultimate milestone in this energetic, warm story that celebrates the precious bond between parent and child.