I’ve been making plans for the upcoming year. Top of my agenda is to finish my first Kinara’s Children picture book, tentatively titled The World According to Nia. The above images are rough drafts from the book in production as I work out the layout, design and workflow going forward.

It’s been just over 2 years since I came up with the concept of using cartoon characters to represent the seven principles of the Nguzo Saba. My goal continues to be introducing those principles to young people in a way that is easily accessible to them, demonstrates how the principles apply to everyday life, and highlights the heroes in our own community.

Thus far:

• I’ve created artwork of the characters and bios (freely available with a subscription to this site)
• Printed out trading cards with tips for parents and teachers to use with the youth
• Created standalone images/cartoons highlighting the different characters
• Added information and tips regarding Kwanzaa and the Nguzo Saba to this site

On the agenda:

• The World According to Nia picture book (an introduction to the world of Kinara’s Children)
• More still images of the various characters
• Flesh out the backstory and visuals of certain characters who have not received enough attention
• Continue to add more learning tools and teaching guides to this website

It doesn’t stop there. I still have way too many ideas and concepts for art that don’t involve the Children needing to be realized. There’s Little Aisha, my Myths and Legends series and a series of Egyptian oriented art on the back burners…

…not enough hours in a day.