Nationwide — Masterfully crafted by Jo Allen, The Mayfly and the Greedy Bullfrog is a story of grace. However, as a new African American female author on the horizon, she is not new to sharing her delightful stories. Aiming to teach as well as entertain, she was on the shortlist of five in 2018 for the African Writers Trust for children’s literature. There she featured her story Who Can Stop The Rain? which features three children of color.
Jo Allen also self-published The Chronicles of Prince and Princess Poppa in 2015. She is one who truly recognizes the need for more women of color in the children’s literary community realizing that one day their contributions may change the industry.
“It starts with our children,” she says. “Every story I write is done with the intention of increasing diversity as well as representation in the field of literature. I feel that books are amazing and my goal is to encourage young people of color to read more.”
