Storybook Project

AHSHAY, Young Authors Publishing, and World Reader—a digital platform for books with worldwide reach—are partnering to curate and scale the voices of youth impacted by systemic injustice. The Storybook Project provides youth with opportunities to work with children’s book authors to write their own books, offering them a creative platform to express themselves through original narratives and illustrations while they learn design-thinking foundations, storytelling concepts, and the publishing process.

Through this work, youth will create The Belonging Collection, a series of children’s stories that speak truth and hope to younger children, strengthening their sense of belonging at home, in community, and through peer-to-peer relationships. The Belonging Collection will be distributed globally through World Reader’s BookSmart app, reaching over 250,000 readers. This experience will equip young people with transferable skills, digital literacy, and connections to the creative industries, contributing to their career readiness and broader workforce development.

Beyond publication, this project aims to amplify the voices and stories of young people, contribute to research and understanding of children’s literacy development, and inspire parents to read with their children. Centering youth creativity and narrative power, the Storybook Project creates opportunities for healing through creation, life skills development, and intergenerational relationships.

The Storybook Project brings together two authors whose work and lived experience make them uniquely suited to guide youth through the writing process. Jodi-Ann Burey is a writer, speaker, and critic whose work explores the intersections of race, culture, and health equity. She is the author of Authentic: The Myth of Bringing Your Full Self to Work, with essays appearing across arts, business, and literary publications. Reagan Jackson is an artist, podcast host, facilitator, and international educator dedicated to creating spaces for Black women. The award-winning author of Still True: The Evolution of an Unexpected Journalist, three poetry collections, and two children’s books, her writing has appeared in the South Seattle Emerald, Seattle Globalist, Yes! Magazine, and Crosscut.

Jodi-Ann and Reagan bring a depth of storytelling, community, and creative expertise that is central to the project’s mission. Their work with youth will be a creative partnership that helps young people find their voices and tell stories that speak truth, build belonging, and reach young readers around the world.

The Storybook Project also includes a research component that explores how young children (ages 4-6) express their creativity, ideas, and visions for the future through bookmaking and storytelling. The study will observe how children’s narratives are shaped and supported by their families. In a unique intergenerational exchange, these young participants will also help inspire and inform older youth in the development of their own stories. The ultimate goal of this research is to better understand and celebrate the unique perspectives and brilliance of children.