Young Daughter Inspires Her Dad to Publish New Children’s Book About African Culture and Royalty
Author Dorsey Spencer Jr. has announced the launch of his new book, Queen Cara and the Kingdom of Jama’a, which he says was inspired by his young daughter, Cara. The exciting fantasy genre children’s book incorporates elements of Nigerian and West African culture and introduces a protagonist with whom girls and boys of color can identify.
After receiving a special necklace, Cara realizes that it has the power to take her to magical worlds. Her first journey is to the beautiful Kingdom of Jama’a, where she encounters a cruel creature made of stone and malice. Readers will enjoy joining Cara on her journey as she discovers her true potential by defeating the creature and saving the kingdom.
The author explains that he wanted to create a character that his daughter could look up to and be proud of while mindfully increasing representation, inclusion, and diversity in the children’s fantasy book genre.
“I started the business because, as a father of two children, I noticed that there is a lack of children’s books that offer Black or brown protagonists,” said Spencer Jr. “I want my children to see themselves in the stories they read and hear. The work we do is so much more than publishing children’s literature for a diverse audience. We are committed to creating the narrative and instilling positive change to inspire young people of color. Queen Cara and the Kingdom of Jama’a gives children a new interpretation of their world and hope for leading wholesome lives, bursting at the seams with possibilities and no predetermined limitations.”
Spencer Jr. is an educator, author, and also the owner of See Us Fly LLC, an independent publishing company whose mission is to amplify the voices of storytellers of color in the pursuit of diversity and equity for all children in literature.
Queen Cara and the Kingdom of Jama’a follows his first book, Worms Are a Yummy Snack, which is a heartfelt story about a father and son’s first fishing trip.
The newest book is available for purchase on Amazon.
(Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in Black News.)
