OwnVoices

Capstone believes in inclusive representation and celebrating diverse storytelling in children’s books. We are proud to lift the voices of marginalized communities and share a richer, more authentic experience with readers by supporting authentic voices authors and illustrators. From picture books to middle grade novels, we hope you’ll share these authentic voices books with your readers.

Picture Books

Black and white portrait of Capstone Illustrator, Thi Bui, looking to the right
Thi Bui

Illustrator, A Different Pond

Black and white portrait of Capstone author, Floyd Cooper, looking at the camera and smiling enigmatically.
Floyd Cooper

Author, Juneteenth for Mazie

Linus Curci
Linus Curci

Illustrator, My Sister Daisy

Black and white portrait of Capstone author, Caroline Karanja, smiling and the camera.
Caroline Karanja

Author, Code Play

Black and white portrait of Capstone author, Alexs Pate, looking at the camera and smiling slightly.
Alexs Pate

Author, Being You

Black and white portrait of Capstone author, Bao Phi, looking enigmatically at the camera.
Bao Phi

Author, A Different Pond

Jerrard Polk

Jerrard Polk

Illustrator, Moving and Grooving to Fillmore’s Beat

Dana Meachen Rau

Dana Meachen Rau

Author, Sense of Play

Author

Beatrice Rendón

Author, The Sunflower Babushka Planted

Rachel Werner

Rachel Werner

Author, Moving and Grooving to Fillmore’s Beat

Early Reader & Chapter Books

Headshot photo of author-illustrator team Jay Albee
Jay Albee

Author-Illustrator Team, Riley Reynolds

Black and white portrait of Capstone illustrator, Hatem Aly, looking at the camera and smiling enigmatically.
Hatem Aly

Illustrator, Yasmin

Headshot photo of author Bryan Patrick Avery
Bryan Patrick Avery

Author, Mr. Grizley's Class

Andrew BambridgeAndrew Bambridge

 Andrew Bambridge

Author, Bo Keeps the Beat

Black and white portrait of Capstone author, V.T. Bidania, looking at the camera and smiling slightly.
V.T. Bidania

Author, Astrid and Apollo

Mari Bolte

Mari Bolte

Author, Service Pups in Training

Black and white portrait of Capstone author, Saadia Faruqi, looking enigmatically at the camera.
Saadia Faruqi

Author, Yasmin

Headshot photo of illustrator Emily Faith Johnson
Emily Faith Johnson

Illustrator, Liam Kingbird's Kingdom

Black and white portrait of Capstone author, Debbi Michiko Florence, smiling at the camera
Debbi Michiko Florence

Author, My Furry Foster Family

Carol Kim

Carol Kim

Author, Jina Jeong

Headshot photo of author Keka Novales
Keka Novales

Author, ¡Hola, Lola!

Black and white portrait of Capstone author, Siman Nuurali, smiling wide at the camera
Siman Nuurali

Author, Sadiq

Headshot photo of author Dorothy H. Price
Dorothy H. Price

Author, Jalen's Big City Life

Debby Rahmalia

Debby Rahmailia

Illustrator, Ali the Great

Black and white portrait of Capstone author, C.L. Reid, smiling at the camera
C.L. Reid

Author, Emma Every Day

Black and white image of Alicia Salazar, author of the Camila the Star children's book series
Alicia Salazar

Author, Camila the Star

Black and white portrait of Capstone author, Nikki Shannon Smith, smiling at the camera
Nikki Shannon Smith

Author, Azaleah Lane

Headshot photo of author Andrew Stark
Andrew Stark

Author, Liam Kingbird's Kingdom

Stacy WellsStacy Wells

Stacy Wells

Author, Tana Cooks

Graphic Novels

Author

Gabrielle Ahuli'i

Author, Hi'iaka and Pana'ewa

Author

Adrianna Bamber

Author, The Rooster and the Two Mice

Author

Jarred Luján

Author, How Music Came to the World

Author

Lydia Lukidis

Author, Hiding from the Nazis in Plain Sight

Author

Alberto Rayo

Author, The Sky Fox

Author

Jared Sams

Author, Qianna and the Quantum Train

Author

Ana Siqueira

Author, Boitatá the Fire Snake

Author

Chitra Soundar

Author, Turtle and the Geese

Author

Sheelue Yang

Author, The Brothers

Narrative & Traditional Nonfiction Books

Black and white portrait of Capstone author, Art Coulson, smiling at the camera.
Art Coulson

Author, Unstoppable

Black and white portrait of Capstone author, Hasan Davis, smiling at the camera.
Hasan Davis

Author, The Journey of York

Headshot of author Judy Allen Dodson
Judy Allen Dodson

Author, The Ashe Brothers

Author

Gloriz Golkar

Author, Ancient Ice

 

Headshot of author Leticia Gonzales
Leticia Gonzales

Author, The Untold Story of Sylvia Mendez

Headshot photo of author Maribel Gonzalez
Maribel Valdez Gonzalez

Author, Social Justice and You

Black and white portrait of Capstone author, Leah Henderson, smiling at the camera.
Leah Henderson

Author, Mamie on the Mound

Black and white portrait of Capstone author, Gwendolyn Hooks, looking at the camera and smiling slightly.
Gwendolyn Hooks

Author, Ona Judge Outwits the Washingtons

Black and white portrait of Capstone author, Jehan Jones-Radgowski, looking at the camera and smiling.
Jehan Jones-Radgowski

Author, The Escape of Robert Smalls

Cheryl Kim

Cheryl Kim

Author, Suni Lee: Gymnastics Superstar

Author

Gloria Koster

Author, Rosh Hashanah

Nicole A. Mansfield

Nicole A. Mansfield

Author, The Untold Story of Barbara Rose Johns

Author

Mariam Mohamed

Author, Eid al-Adha

Headshot photo of author Katrina Phillips
Katrina M. Phillips

Author, Indigenous Peoples' Day

Elliott Smith

Elliott Smith

Author, Jackie Robinson Takes the Field

Headshot photo of author Artika Tyner
Artika R. Tyner

Author, Kwanzaa

Headshot photo of illustrator David Wilkerson
David Wilkerson

Illustrator, The Ashe Brothers

Middle Grade Books

Author

Anita Nahta Amin

Author, Reeya Rai: Adventurous Inventor

 

 

Anitra Butler-Ngugi

Anitra Butler-Ngugi

Author, Essie and the March on Selma

Black and white portrait of Capstone author, Veeda Bybee, looking at the camera and smiling slightly.
Veeda Bybee

Author, Lily and the Great Quake

Black and white portrait of Capstone author, Tami Charles, looking at the camera and smiling wide.
Tami Charles

Author, Daphne Secret Vlogger

Black and white image of Chase Clemshaw, author of People of Pride: 25 Great LGBTQ Americans book
Chase Clemesha

Author, People of Pride: 25 Great LGBTQ Americans

Ailynn Collins

Ailynn Collins

Author, Ting and the Deadly Waters

Black and white portrait of Capstone author, Susan Muaddi Darraj, looking at the camera and smiling slightly.
Susan Muaddi Darraj

Author, Farah Rocks

Headshot photo of author Joy Michael Ellison
Joy Michael Ellison

Author, Flor Fights Back

Sita JitSita Jit

Sita Jit

Author, Divya Far from Home

Molly Felder

Molly Felder

Author, The Fantastic Freewheeler

Hanna Kim

Hanna Kim

Author, The Magic Lunch Box

Author

Danielle Smith-Llera

Author, Cocuyo Lights the Way

Author

Ngeri Nnachi

Author, Freedom Summer 1964

Black and white portrait of Capstone author, Cristina Oxtra, looking at the camera and smiling slightly.
Cristina Oxtra

Author, Tara and the Towering Wave

Claudia Oviedo

Claudia Oviedo

Author, On the Home Front with Valentina

Headshot photo of author Shawn Pryor
Shawn Pryor

Author, The Gamer

Author

Vanessa Ramos

Author, Wishing on a Star with Estrella

Adriana Rivera

Adriana Erin Rivera

Author,  Paloma’s Song for Puerto Rico

Black and white portrait of Capstone author, Andrea Rogers, looking at the camera and smiling slightly.
Andrea L. Rogers

Author, Mary and the Trail of Tears

Black and white image of Alex Sanchez, author of The Greatest Superpower book
Alex Sanchez

Author, The Greatest Superpower

Denise Walter McConduit

Denise Walter McConduit

Author, Claudia in the Storm