Local Author Promotes Youth Literacy and Her First Children's Book

Inkster native Robin Wilson is enjoying the rerelease of her first children's book, "Mama Got Rhythm, Daddy Got Rhyme" which tells the story of young Jasmine, who dislikes the jazz music her parents listen to. When her parents take her to the Jazz Museum to learn about her musical roots, she finds many of the great jazz musicians of the past influenced the music that Jasmine loves listening to today and gains a new appreciation for her parent's music. Originally published in 2009, "Mama Got Rhythm, Daddy Got Rhyme" was rereleased by Bristow Publishing in November 2021 and received a book launch celebration at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

This past weekend, Wilson was welcomed at Barnes and Noble Booksellers in Ann Arbor for an author meet and greet and book signing event on February 25. She says the idea for the story was generated when she began researching the origins of jazz music for a writing assignment and was so impressed by what she learned, she decided to use that research to educate children on the subject of jazz music and its influential figures. "I love music. As an African-American woman who has a passion for music, I really wrote this book because I wanted children to understand where their music came from and that jazz is still current," she says. "I think that representation in children's literature is important and that books can not only be windows, they can be mirrors. It's important for children to be able to see themselves in the books that they read and to see authors that look like them."

At 32 pages in length, "Mama Got Rhythm, Daddy Got Rhyme" also includes a short music vocabulary and biographical information on the music legends young Jasmine learns about at the museum: Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Billie Holiday. Wilson says the story's theme is family togetherness around music. The book was illustrated by Detroit artist Mario Moore.

A University of Michigan graduate, Wilson spent more than three years as a teacher at the Foreign Language Immersion and Cultural Studies School in Detroit, and recalls using music to engage her students and brought jazz music into the classroom. She says her young students were receptive to what they heard.

Wilson moved away from the classroom in 2022 to focus on other creative projects and works to advance educational and literacy initiatives in the communities around her. She is founder of Robin Wilson Educational Consulting, LLC, and Heritage Home and Garden, LLC, as well as a contributing writer for Career Mastered Magazine.

Wilson will be celebrating Black Children's Book Week from February 26 to March 3 by presenting a virtual read-a-thon featuring audio recordings of herself reading a story each day by an African-American author. The readings will be carried live from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m. and posted on Instagram at 10 a.m. each day, and recordings will be preserved for anyone who is unable to view the read-a-thon live. Find it at http://www.instagram@robinmwilson.

In addition, on Friday, March 3, Wilson will be participating in the Detroit Parent Network's Celebration of Black Children's Book Week event, held in partnership with the United Way for Southeastern Michigan and the Detroit Public Library. The event will be held from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. and will feature a community dinner, local authors, free books for children, family read-alouds, and hands-on activities. Find out more and register to attend at http://www.facebook.com/DetroitParentNetwork/ or call 313-263-6480.

On the achievement of having had her first children's book published, Wilson says, "I would like people to know that it's not just representative of my love of jazz, but my heart for educating young people. I love to write stories that not only educate and inform but entertain, and I believe that 'Mama Got Rhythm, Daddy Got Rhyme' does all of that."Wilson is preparing to release her second children's book on jazz.

"Mama Got Rhythm, Daddy Got Rhyme" can be purchased at all Barnes and Noble stores and through online retailers as well. Robin Wilson can be reached at [email protected].