From “Doodler” to Editorial Director:
or How I Became a Children’s Book Publisher
by Cheryl Willis Hudson
Sharing Cultures through Children’s Multicultural Literature
Cheryl Willis Hudson is vice president and editorial director of Just Us Books, Inc., an independent publisher of Black-interest books for children and young adults. She and her husband Wade
Hudson founded Just Us Books in 1988 to address the need for more African American children’s books in the market place. Ms. Hudson has authored many books for young children including Bright Eyes, Brown Skin, AFRO-BETS ABC Book, AFRO-BETS 123 Book, Many Colors of Mother Goose, Come By Here Lord: Everyday Prayers for Children (Just Us Books) Good Morning, Baby (Scholastic), From Where I Stand (Marimba Books), Hands Can (Candlewick Press) and My Friend Maya Loves to Dance (Abrams Books for Young Readers).
Author, publisher and entrepreneur, Cheryl Willis Hudson has more than 40 plus years of experience in the children’s book industry. A native of Portsmouth, Virginia, and a graduate of Oberlin College in Ohio, Cheryl began her career doing text book de- sign for publishers such as Houghton Mifflin and Macmillan. Over the years she has tweaked her penchant for doodling into a career as an editorial director.
Noticing a lack of quality Black-interest books for her own two children, in 1988, Cheryl and her husband Wade formed Just Us Books, Inc., a publishing company that specializes in children’s books that focus on Black experiences. Cheryl’s AFRO-BETS ABC Book, was Just Us Books’ first published title.
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