Here's pb24Galore member Jenin Mohammed's new book

THEY BUILT ME FOR FREEDOM

written by Tonya Duncan Ellis and illustrated by Jenin Mohammed.

Balzer and Bray, May 14, 2024

Meet Jenin Mohammed

About the book

A moving picture book about the history of Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas—and the origins of Juneteenth.

When people visit me, they are free—to run, play, gather, and rejoice.

They built me to remember.

On June 19, 1865, the 250,000 enslaved people of Texas learned they were free, ending slavery in the United States. This day was soon to be memorialized with the dedication of a park in Houston. The park was called Emancipation Park, and the day it honored would come to be known as Juneteenth.  

In the voice and memory of the park itself—its fields and pools, its protests and cookouts, and, most of all, its people—the 150-year story of Emancipation Park is brought to life. Through lyrical text and vibrant artwork, Tonya Duncan Ellis and Jenin Mohammed have crafted an ode to the struggle, triumph, courage, and joy of Black America—and the promise of a people to remember.

Take two!

I recently posted my standing/walking/reading desk. Well, I took it all apart and redesigned it to stand completely free of the treadmill. When I walked, the treadmill jiggled and made reading the bouncing words on the page too hard. Look! Now with my new design, it’s easier to see the numbers on the control panel.

Why go through all this trouble? I want to read more, but I’m sitting too much. And, I need to exercise more, but exercise is boring. The desk for this treadmill is below my waistline and makes reading down there impossible. So, I made the desk really tall so I could read with my type of glasses without looking down.

I repurposed plumbing traps as feet to keep my reading tower from tipping over. I love it!

Travis Novitsky Exhibition

TRAVIS NOVITSKY EXHIBITION: Starting November 15th, 2023 and running through April 2024, the 15 images you see on this page will be on display at the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis, MN as part of the "Spirits Dancing" exhibit. 

I had the honor of designing this book cover SPIRITS DANCING, photography by Travis Novitsky, and text by Annette S. Lee for the Minnesota Historical Society Press 2023. Novitsky’s photos are truly stunning and show just how beautiful our northern sky truly is. These photos were taken over many years and must have taken a lot of perseverance to be in the right spot at the right time.

Cover Reveal & Enter to Win a Portfolio Review!

Thank you, Vivian Kirkfield for hosting our UNICYCLE DAD cover reveal on her blog! https://viviankirkfield.com/ Enter to win a portfolio critique #giveaway from ALICIA! And a manuscript review from SARAH HOVORKA. Go to Vivian's blog to enter. Vivian will draw a winner by the end of October.

UNICYCLE DAD

written by Sarah Hovorka and illustrated by Alicia Schwab
Amicus Ink, March 12th, 2024!
You can pre-order the book here.
 @amicus_publishing @authorsarahhovorka @viviankirkfield

Spirits Dancing Cover reveal

Here is the cover I designed. Preorder a copy of SPIRITS DANCING The Night Sky, Indigenous Knowledge, and Living Connections to the Cosmos

Photography by Travis Novitsky, Text by Annette S. Lee

Minnesota Historical Society Press (November 7, 2023)

An exploration of human connection to the aurora, the Milky Way, and the wonder of the universe above us, with gorgeous photographs by a master photographer.

Read full description

I enjoyed designing this cover. Travis Novitsky’s photography is stunning.

Cover design: Alicia Schwab

#PB24Galore: new picture books to explore!

Meet our fabulous team of explorers! We all have new picture books in 2024. Check back for more news and giveaways.

ADAM MING linktr.ee/adamming

ALICIA SCHWAB linktr.ee/AliciaSchwab

COLLEEN MUSKE colleenmuske.com

JEANETTE FAZZARI JONES https://jeanettejones1981.wixsite.com/jeanettefazzarijo

JENIN MOHAMMED https://www.jeninmohammed.com/books/

MIRKA HOKKANEN smart.bio/mirkahokkanen

SARAH KURPIEL https://sarahkurpiel.com/

ZAINAB KHAN https://www.facebook.com/zainab.khan.967

Downtown St. Paul Voice

Another lovely article in my local paper, the Downtown St. Paul Voice. Our book, THE HOUSE WE SHELTERED IN / THE MASKS WE WORE, was written by Freeman Ng and illustrated by 16 illustrators (including me).

The book is about the pandemic and how the world learned to live during this challenging time in our history. A dual volume: two stories that start from each end of a flippable book. The flippable dual structure of the book seemed a natural expression of its yin-yang nature. The first poem, The House We Sheltered In, is inward-looking. It’s about comfort and security. The second poem, The Masks We Wore, is outward-looking, about the actions we took in the world to combat the virus.

Order your copy today at www.pandemicpb.com

South Shore Community Magazine

Massachusetts illustrator Olivia Pinney is featured in this article from the spring/summer edition of South Shore Community Magazine where Pinney lives. She was one of 16 illustrators (including me) that created art for Freeman Ng’s picture book THE HOUSE WE SHELTERED IN / THE MASKS WE WORE.

The book is about the pandemic and how the world learned to live during this challenging time in our history. A dual volume: two stories that start from each end of a flippable book. The flippable dual structure of the book seemed a natural expression of its yin-yang nature. The first poem, The House We Sheltered In, is inward-looking. It’s about comfort and security. The second poem, The Masks We Wore, is outward-looking, about the actions we took in the world to combat the virus.

Order your copy today at www.pandemicpb.com

Stroll - North Oaks Magazine

In the September issue of Stroll magazine, illustrator Sara Nintzel reads our new picture book, THE HOUSE WE SHELTERED IN / THE MASKS WE WORE, to her three boys in their garden. The book is by local St. Paul poet Freeman Ng and illustrated by 16 illustrators (including me).

Also featured in this article are Alicia Schwab, Annie Kuhn, and Freeman Ng. The book is about the pandemic and how the world learned to live during this challenging time in our history. A dual volume: two stories that start from each end of a flippable book. The flippable dual structure of the book seemed a natural expression of its yin-yang nature. The first poem, The House We Sheltered In, is inward-looking. It’s about comfort and security. The second poem, The Masks We Wore, is outward-looking, about the actions we took in the world to combat the virus.

Order your copy today at www.pandemicpb.com

White Bear Press

August 9, 2023: Fellow illustrators Annie Kuhn and Sara Nintzel are featured in the White Bear Press paper on our picture book, THE HOUSE WE SHELTERED IN / THE MASKS WE WORE.

They were some of the 16 illustrators (including me) that created art for Freeman Ng’s picture book.

The book is about the pandemic and how the world learned to live during this challenging time in our history. The book is two stories that begin at each end of the book and conclude in the center of the book. Freeman Ng lives in St. Paul and has been writing poetry for thirty years.

Order your copy today at www.pandemicpb.com