Our Pod

Here at the Pod, we share thoughts and opinions about the growing need for diversity in
children’s literature. As we get rooted, we will feature stories about Mighty Girls and Gentle Warriors of Change. Please stay a while, and join the conversation.

#WHERESTORIESGROW

July 20, 2024

“Without Community There is No Liberation” – Audre Lorde

Some personal thoughts… In a speech, at “The Personal and the Political Panel” at the Second Sex Conference in New York, September 29, 1979, Audre Lorde implores the  audience […]
March 4, 2022
Lilac frame with black tag to the left. Tag has white text which gives website address and hashtag Where Stories Grow. In the white centre, an image to the left shows a photo of the book cover of A Lion's Mane placed standing up next to a lion plush toy on a windowsill.

World Book Day 2022

March 3, 2022 is World Book Day. Created by UNESCO on the 23rd April, 1995, World Book Day was designated as a day to celebrate books […]
September 21, 2021
Lilac frame with black tag on the bottom left. Tag includes website details for Saffron Press. In the centre there is an image on the left with the numbers 1907 in a square format in white on a yellow background. On the right, text reads: Featuring Project 1907: a grassroots group made up of Asian women on a white background.

Meet the Humans Behind Project 1907: Anti-Asian Racism

Whether in the aftermath of 9/11, or a global pandemic, Asian communities have continued to face countless acts of hate and violence. As a Canadian election […]
September 3, 2021
Lilac frame with black tag at the bottom left. Text in gold reads: Seeds of Knowledge. In the centre, there is white space with an image of Dr. Zetta Elliott on the left - a Black feminist writer - wearing a dark pink blouse and beaded necklace. To the right, text reads: Featuring the author of over 30 books for children, Zetta Elliott, PhD

Meet Dr. Zetta Elliott: writer of poetry, plays, essays, novels and stories for children

A few years ago, while living in Surrey, British Columbia, I came across the story of Barbara Howard – one of the fastest female sprinters in […]
December 16, 2020
Image reads: Featuring Picture Book Illustrator Alea Marley. Image of illustrator and an illustration of Harpreet with a rainbow of colours following him in swirls.

Interview with Alea Marley – Picture Book Illustrator

Our Seeds of Knowledge Series hopes to amplify the voice of creators in children’s publishing and also, offer guidance to aspiring writers and illustrators. This kind of […]
November 14, 2020
Text: Liberation for All - Happy Bandi Chhor Divas! & Happy Diwali! Image shows a group of young children exhaling with arms raised in celebration.

Liberation For All: Happy Bandi Chhor Divas and Happy Diwali!

Yesterday, I was reminded by my good friend Raj, of a post I had written about Bandi Chhor Divas two years ago. The post (which I’ll […]
June 1, 2020

13 Children’s Books To Talk About Anti-Black Racism

This is not just another book list. Anti-Black racism has been an inequity issue for many years and systemic barriers have affected Black youth acutely. There […]
June 1, 2020

Unpacking Race and Injustice from Coast to Coast

When we emigrated to Canada from England, I taught at a private Montessori school in Toronto for a couple of years. I remember a family approaching […]