Q&A with JaNay Brown-Wood

  

 

JaNay Brown-Wood is the author of the new children's picture book Acacia: A Rapunzel Tale. Her many other books include Mahogany: A Little Red Riding Hood Tale. She is also an educator, and she lives in California.

 

Q: What do you see as the relationship between your new picture book, Acacia, and your book Mahogany?

 

A: Oh, the relationship between Acacia and Mahogany! First, they are both fractured fairytales, taking the core aspects of well-known fairytales and then adding in some twists.

 

As someone who didn’t grow up seeing very many fairytales that featured characters that looked like me, one of the twists you see in both books is the main characters are young Black girls. Not just that, they lean into elements of their Blackness and their talents to help them overcome their obstacles.

 

For instance, Mahogany uses the melanin in her skin among other things to blend into the shadows to outwit the Big Bad Wolf. Then, in Acacia’s story, the girls connect over hair and braiding to devise a plan to get Acacia safely out of the tower.

 

Finally, one of the twists I love about both books is that no prince comes to save them, they work together to save themselves (in Mahogany’s case) and each other (in Acacia’s case).

 

Q: How would you describe the dynamic between your characters Acacia and Mahogany?

 

A: The best way I would describe Acacia and Mahogany’s relationship is the following: instant sisterhood. Mahogany compliments Acacia’s storytelling talent, the girls love each other’s hair, Acacia learns how to braid because of Mahogany—and Mahogany tells Acacia about the big, wide world out there. These two girls connect and build a friendship that I believe could (and will) last and last.

 

Q: What do you think John Joven’s illustrations add to the story?

 

A: John Joven’s illustrations are fantastic! He captures so much whimsy and humor and fun in the books, and he does it in a way that doesn’t feel too scary for children.

 

For instance, a Big Bad Wolf or a witch could easily be scary for a child to see. But John captures the essence of the villains without making it frightening. For instance, I love how he included a vest and a tie on the Big Bad Wolf in Mahogany and purple skin-tone for Ma Gothel in Acacia.

 

One of my favorite spreads in Acacia is when she sticks her head out the window, with her twist-out spanning from her head like a halo. The best! John really captured these characters expertly!

 

Q: What role does Acacia’s hair play in the story?

 

A: We get to see the role hair plays in a few ways. Initially, Acacia’s hair plays the role of the classic Rapunzel tale, the long braid that Ma Gothel uses to climb in and out of the tower.

 

But the twist (pun intended) comes when Mahogany and Acacia change up her do, unbraiding Acacia’s hair and rocking a natural style called a braid/twist-out. It shows the power of her hair: without that long braid, Ma Gothel was unable to reach her as easily.

 

Additionally, hair played the role of being a connector for the girls. They complimented each other’s hair—admiring each other’s different hair texture—and Mahogany helps Acacia unbraid her hair. I also enjoyed including how Mahogany’s skill of sewing and braiding was what helped them get free.

 

So, all in all, this story embraces and celebrates the rituals around Black hair, highlighting the power it can have, as well as how it can serve as a sisterhood connection.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am fortunate that I am always working on new stories.

 

At the moment, I am working on more Love Puppies books with Scholastic, as well as some additional titles I’m excited to share in the coming years including This Voice Leads, a follow up to This Hair Belongs (Astra Publishing); the Where in the Neighborhood series, including Amara Visits the Library and Amara Visits the Beauty Salon (Peachtree Publishing); as well as a Christmas story called Quick! Santa’s Coming Tonight (Bloomsbury).

 

Finally, I’m also working on some longer works as well.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: As a speaker, author, and educator, I love sharing what I know and what I do with the public. I have a free newsletter I send out that includes information about my process and books; educational information for parents, educators, librarians; free giveaways; and more!

 

Further, I travel the country and do author visits to school, programs, libraries, and community events. I also offer professional developments and workshops for authors, educators, community members, and more.

 

If people are interested in learning more about me, they can check out my website www.janaybrownwood.com or they can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with JaNay Brown-Wood.