Cheryl Willis Hudson

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About Cheryl Willis Hudson

Author, publisher and entrepreneur, Cheryl Willis Hudson began her career doing textbook design for publishers such as Houghton Mifflin and Macmillan.
Noticing a lack of quality Black-interest books for her own two children, in 1988, Cheryl Hudson and her husband Wade formed Just Us Books, Inc., a publishing company that specializes in children's books that focus on Black experiences, history and culture. Hudson's AFRO-BETS® ABC Book was Just Us Books' first published title.
Cheryl Willis Hudson has written over 24 children's books, including the classic Bright Eyes, Brown Skin, Many Colors of Mother Goose, and Come By Here, Lord: Everyday Prayers for Children, Hold Christmas In Your Heart, What Do You Know, Snow!, the What a Baby board book series (Scholastic, Inc.) Hands Can (Candlewick), My Friend Maya Loves to Dance (Abrams) and From Where I Stand (Marimba Books).
She is co-editor with Wade Hudson of We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices and The Talk:Conversations About Race, Love & Truth (Crown Books for Young Readers).
As an author, Cheryl Willis Hudson crafts vibrant and engaging multicultural books that allow children of color to see themselves positively reflected in society. As a diversity workshop facilitator and speaker she shares her experience and expertise in developing curricula of inclusions with schools and educational organizations. She loves to visit schools and libraries to talk with children and parents.
For fun, Cheryl sings with friends in an amateur acappella vocal group. She lives in Northern New Jersey with her family.

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Author Updates

Books By Cheryl Willis Hudson

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The Talk: Conversations about Race, Love & Truth Aug 11, 2020

by Wade Hudson , Cheryl Willis Hudson

( 76 )

$9.99

Thirty diverse, award-winning authors and illustrators invite you into their homes to witness the conversations they have with their children about race in America today in this powerful call-to-action that invites all families to be anti-racists and advocates for change.

As long as racist ideas persist, families will continue to have the difficult and necessary conversations with their young ones on the subject. In this inspiring collection, literary all-stars such as Renée Watson (Piecing Me Together), Grace Lin (Where the Mountain Meets the Moon), Meg Medina (Merci Suárez Changes Gears), Adam Gidwitz (The Inquisitor's Tale), and many more engage young people in frank conversations about race, identity, and self-esteem. Featuring text and images filled with love, acceptance, truth, peace, and an assurance that there can be hope for a better tomorrow, The Talk is a stirring anthology and must-have resource published in partnership with Just Us Books, a Black-owned children's publishing company that's been in operation for over thirty years. Just Us Books continues its mission grounded in the same belief that helped launch the company: Good books make a difference.

So, let's talk.

Featured contributors: Selina Alko, Tracey Baptiste, Derrick Barnes, Natacha Bustos, Cozbi A. Cabrera, Raul Colón, Adam Gidwitz, Nikki Grimes, Rudy Gutierrez, April Harrison, Wade Hudson, Gordon C. James, Minh Lê, E. B. Lewis, Grace Lin, Torrey Maldonado, Meg Medina, Christopher Myers, Daniel Nayeri, Zeke Peña, Peter H. Reynolds, Erin K. Robinson, Traci Sorell, Shadra Strickland, Don Tate, MaryBeth Timothy, Duncan Tonatiuh, Renée Watson, Valerie Wilson Wesley, Sharon Dennis Wyeth

"Project[s] love and support." --The New York Times

"The go-to book for talking to kids about race and privilege. . . . A must-read for every family." --Ellen Oh, editor of Flying Lessons & Other Stories and cofounder of We Need Diverse Books

"May this magnificent collection inspire us to move from dialogue to deep action." --Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback

We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices Sep 4, 2018

by Wade Hudson , Cheryl Willis Hudson

( 210 )

$8.99

Fifty of the foremost diverse children's authors and illustrators--including Jason Reynolds, Jacqueline Woodson, and Kwame Alexander--share answers to the question, "In this divisive world, what shall we tell our children?" in this beautiful, full-color keepsake collection, published in partnership with Just Us Books.

What do we tell our children when the world seems bleak, and prejudice and racism run rampant? With 96 lavishly designed pages of original art and prose, fifty diverse creators lend voice to young activists.

Featuring poems, letters, personal essays, art, and other works from such industry leaders as Jacqueline Woodson (Brown Girl Dreaming), Jason Reynolds (All American Boys), Kwame Alexander (The Crossover), Andrea Pippins (I Love My Hair), Sharon Draper (Out of My Mind), Rita Williams-Garcia (One Crazy Summer), Ellen Oh (cofounder of We Need Diverse Books), and artists Ekua Holmes, Rafael Lopez, James Ransome, Javaka Steptoe, and more, this anthology empowers the nation's youth to listen, learn, and build a better tomorrow.

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2018!
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2018!

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback

Brave. Black. First.: 50+ African American Women Who Changed the World Jan 7, 2020

by Cheryl Hudson , Erin K. Robinson

( 210 )

$10.99

Published in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, discover over fifty remarkable African American women whose unique skills and contributions paved the way for the next generation of young people. Perfect for fans of Rad Women Worldwide, Women in Science, and Girls Think of Everything.

Harriet Tubman guided the way.
Rosa Parks sat for equality.
Aretha Franklin sang from the soul.
Serena Williams bested the competition.
Michelle Obama transformed the White House.
Black women everywhere have changed the world!

Published in partnership with curators from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, this illustrated biography compilation captures the iconic moments of fifty African American women whose heroism and bravery rewrote the American story for the better.

They were fearless. They were bold. They were game changers.

Other Formats: Hardcover

Hands Can Dec 1, 2020

by Cheryl Willis Hudson , John-Francis Bourke

( 307 )

$3.74

Provides youngsters with an almost sensory experience." — School Library Journal

Hands can do all kinds of things — wave hello and good-bye, play peekaboo, touch things, clap, even tie a shoe. For the very young, hands are a never-ending source of discovery and a means of mastery in an ever-unfolding world. With singsong rhythm, simple design, and alluring color photos of toddlers, Hands Can invites the littlest readers to discover the many things hands can do.

Other Formats: Hardcover , Paperback , Board book

My Friend Maya Loves to Dance Jan 22, 2016

by Cheryl Willis Hudson , Eric Velasquez

( 10 )

$11.79

A young narrator tells readers about her friend Maya, who absolutely loves to dance. In this rhyming picture book, Maya attends a lively dance class. She can’t get enough of dance: the costumes, the grand entrances, the pirouettes, the music, the final bow, and the magic of recitals. She even loves the hard work of practice. But why doesn’t her friend dance, too?

The pages themselves seem to dance, thanks to the charming verse of Cheryl Willis Hudson and the vibrant colors and motion of Eric Velasquez’s paintings.

Other Formats: Hardcover

Just For You!: What Do You Know? Snow! Apr 1, 2004

by Cheryl Hudson , Sylvia Walker

( 1 )

$3.99

What would you do if you woke up one morning and found everything covered with snow? Reading Level 2 (grade 1). Includes tips for reading with a parent, plus after-reading activities!

Other Formats: Library Binding , Paperback

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