Happy Saturday!  We are SO excited to be back in action after a week away looking at property in our dream location-Western Massachusetts!  In perfect timing, we were able to connect with Ebony Glenn who illustrated Not Quite Snow White, which was recently released on July 9th! She is an Atlanta based illustrator who enjoys bringing stories to life with whimsical imagery.

A passion for the arts, great storytelling, and advocating diversity in children’s books, she aims to create illustrations that will foster a love of reading in young readers.  She also loves to create joyful and heartwarming crafts to satisfy her endless need to always make new things.

When Ebony is not giving in to her creative itch of art-making, you may find her lost in the pages of a good book, learning some new hula-hooping tricks, or going on an adventure with her pups, Louie and Gabby. 

Ebony is also the proud recipient of the 2018 Wonders of Childhood Focus Fellowship, an award given by AIR Serenbe, a nonprofit artist residency program of the Serenbe Institute in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia.  We’ve even talked about Ebony before when reviewing the book Mommy’s Khimar! 

The Tiny Activist: Introduce yourself/your organization!

Ebony Glenn: Hi, there! My name is Ebony, and I am a children’s book illustrator who enjoys bringing stories to life with whimsical and compelling imagery for picture and chapter books.

 TTA: What are you passionate about?

EG: I have many passions, but the few that I will share are great storytelling—I believe stories have the power to connect people, build empathy, keep our history alive, etc., education—I’m grateful to know that what I do can help children learn and grow, and illustration, of course! 

TTA: Tell us about a project you’re currently working on!

EG: At the moment I’m illustrating “Flying High: The Story of Simone Biles” (written by Michelle Meadows), a picture book biography about the Olympic gold-medalist gymnast, and I’m also illustrating “The Red Shoes” (written by Karen English), a beautiful story about a little girl who outgrows her favorite pair of red shoes and the second life it receives in Africa after she donates them.

TTA: How can people support you on your journey?

EG: Sharing the books that I’ve illustrated with your friends, family, schools, churches, and libraries is a great way to show support for not only me but also the writers of these awesome picture books.  Honestly, I’m so very fortunate to have the opportunity to illustrate them that I only wish for others to be moved by and learn from these great stories.

TTA: What book was your favorite in 2019 so far?

EG: I wish I had more time to read this year, but one of the most profound books I’ve read this year is Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism by bell hooks. Entitled after Sojourner Truth’s ‘Ain’t I a woman speech,’ bell hooks (Gloria Jean Watkins) examines the effect of racism and sexism on black women, the civil rights movement, and feminist movements from suffrage to the 1970s.

 TTA: What are you looking forward to in the coming year?

EG: Going on vacation!  Although I love what I do for a living, I’m seriously looking forward to taking a break and going someplace new this summer.

Stay Connected with Ebony!

Ebony’s Website

Ebony’s Etsy Shop

Ebby’s Instagram