Langston Hughes and Kara Finds Sunshine On a Rainy Day

Pssst. Can I tell you a secret? I have something in common with Langston Hughes, poet of world famous works, such as The Weary Blues. Langston, you see, got his start with children’s stories. But he never had a children’s book published. Not until 1994, when children’s book lovers got their wish. The Sweet and Sour Animal Book by Hughes was put out by Oxford University Press. And as its title signals, it’s bursting with playfulness.

So, what’s the juicy hook between Langston and one of my books? Students from the Harlem School of the Arts will forever be in my heart. First-graders from that lovely school illustrated Hughes’ Sweet and Sour tale. And 11 years later, another group from HSA helped my fifth edition sail …into history with their touching art. A 6th printing is now out of Kara Finds Sunshine on a Rainy Day, and the new edition looks and feels really good, if I must say.

Like Hughes’ book, it tells a story in rhyme, with smile-sparking surprises sprinkled in from time to time.

Kara Find Sunshine on a Rainy Day, just like Sweet and Sour, is chockfull of educational nuggets as captivating as garden flowers.

You can now find the updated book in paperback, wherever books are borrowed or sold. Readers tell me this story of history, hope, and healing is worth its weight in gold. Looking forward to the day when I learn what you have to say about the new and improved Kara Finds Sunshine on a Rainy Day.

Thank you for your support.