Joyful, Joyful: 20 Stories by Brilliant Black Creators from Around the World

Best New Children’s Books - Guardian
Children’s Book of the Week - Sunday Times

’A wonderful collection of short stories and poems from 40 black writers and illustrators . . . Brilliantly curated by Dapo Adeola’ - Joseph Coelho, Children’s Laureate

A hugely entertaining, fully color-illustrated collection celebrating joy, perfect for children age 8 to 12 (and beyond!). Curated by Laugh Out Loud Awards winner Dapo Adeola, with a foreword by the acclaimed author Patrice Lawrence.

Featuring both exciting new talents and globally renowned creators - every specially created poem and story is illustrated by an amazing artist.

With stories featuring a mythical whale, a message from the future, a Halloween dance competition, a talking book, a miraculous discovery in a moment of lost hope, the joy of jollof rice (along with an easy recipe) and so much more. The creators hail from around the world, from the UK and US, to Uganda, the Netherlands, Nigeria and more.

Colorful and beautifully illustrated, with artwork from an array of talented illustrators including Ken Wilson Max, Dapo Adeola, Dorcas Magbadelo, Odera Igbokwe and Denzell Dankwah, alongside stories and poems by the likes of Malorie Blackman, Alex Wheatle, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Dorothy Koomson.

Contributors include: Adejoké ’Joké’ Bakare, Alex Wheatle, Arantza Peña Popo, Ashley Evans, Awuradwoa Afful, Camilla Sucre, Camryn Garrett, Charis JB, Dapo Adeola, Denzell Dankwah, Dorcas Magbadelo, Doreen Baingana, Dorothy Koomson, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Funmbi Omotayo, Hannah Lee, Jeffrey Boakye, Jess Nash, Kelechi Okafor, Ken Wilson-Max, Kofi Ofosu, Koleka Putuma, Lewis James, Maame Blue, Malorie Blackman, Matilda Feyisayo Ibini, Michael Kennedy, Nathan Bryon, Odera Igbokwe, Ojima Abalaka, Olu Oke, Patrice Lawrence, Rahana Dariah, Robyn Smith, Rosaline Tella, Sharna Jackson, Snalo Ngcaba, Terrence Adegbenle, Tomekah George, Tracey Baptiste, Trish Cooke, Yasmin Joseph and Zaïre Krieger.

Dapo Adeola is an illustrator, author and character designer who rocketed into the picture book world with his greatly acclaimed illustrator debut, Look Up!, written by Nathan Bryon, which won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in 2020. Dapo illustrated My Dad is a Grizzly Bear and My Mum Is a Lioness written by award-winning author Swapna Haddow, and collaborated with Malorie Blackman on their picture book We’re Going to Find the Monster. Dapo is the author of Hey You!: An Empowering Celebration of Growing Up Black, featuring eighteen talented Black British illustrators. Born in Britain and of Nigerian heritage, Dapo’s work tends to revolve around creating characters and imagery that challenge gender norms and equality politics in a fun and upbeat manner. An avid believer in the importance of equal representation in the creative arts, Dapo runs illustration and character design based workshops with children and adults to help highlight the possibilities of a career in illustration to inner city people of various ethnicities. Dapo lives in London and in 2022 he was named Illustrator of the Year at the British Book Awards.