Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Esau McCaulley!
Read on to learn more about the author, the book, and a giveaway!
Meet the Author: Esau McCaulley
Esau McCaulley is The Jonathan Blanchard Associate Professor of New Testament and Public Theology at Wheaton College. He is the author of numerous books, including How Far to the Promised Land: One Black Family’s Story of Hope and Survival in the American South, Reading While Black, and the children’s books Josey Johnson’s Hair and the Holy Spirit and Andy Johnson and the March for Justice. A contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, his writings have also appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and Christianity Today.
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About the Book: ANDY JOHNSON AND THE MARCH FOR JUSTICE
Andy Johnson loves fighting battles. Especially when he has his favorite sword, the Destroyer, by his side. So when Dad announces that the Johnson family is heading to the city to join a march, Andy’s ready to don his battle gear and be the best solider!
Except this isn’t a march to war . . . it’s a march for justice.
Join Andy and the rest of the Johnson kids as they learn how we can answer God’s call for justice and how marching is one way people can fight for a world that reflects God’s love and compassion—from the civil rights era up to today.
Building on the first Johnson family book, Josey Johnson’s Hair and the Holy Spirit, and inspired by a conversation with his own children after taking them to a protest march, Esau McCaulley provides an accessible resource for parents and educators looking to engage kids on the topics of racism, discrimination, and social justice through a biblical and historical perspective.
~Author Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
As a parent, I know what is like to look in vain for resources that help how and why the Black Church in America has been a force for justice. I want my kids and other kids to know that people like Martin Luther King Jr and other leaders in the Civil Rights movement show that faith can be a force for good.
YABC: What follow up research would you recommend for interested readers?
When I was in middle school, I was strongly impacted by the eyes on the prize series video series. Some of that is not the most suitable for kids, but it gave me a good picture of what African Americans and others endured to make our country a more just place.
YABC: Which came first, the title or the novel?
The idea is came first and the title followed
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
The last scene with Andy and his Dad. It gets to the heart of the book.
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
I had to learn how to be myself as a writer and not what I thought people wanted me to be.
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
The drawing of Andy. It is so full of life.
YABC: What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2025?
To be completely honest, I have a children’s Bible coming out in 2025 called God’s colorful Kingdom and I can’t wait to share that with the world.
YABC: What’s a book you’ve recently read and loved?
The Biography of Frederick Douglass. An amazing book.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
Andy Johnson is a part of a series of books on the Johnson family (four kids), each kid has a book centered around them. I have two more Johnson Family books in the works.
YABC: Which was the most difficult or emotional scene to narrate?
I think it was hard to talk about the mistreat of African Americans due to injustice that would inform kids, but not overwhelm them.
YABC: Which fact gave you the most trouble when writing your latest book?
The fact that we still have to do things like march for justice and that we are not further down the road to equity.
YABC: What is the main message or lesson you would like your reader to remember from this book?
God has always called his people to stand on the side of the mistreated. It is never too early to join in that work of making the world a better place.
YABC: What would you say is your superpower?
I don’t have any superpowers. I do have hope in someone who can do what we might think is impossible.
YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
I know that the church has been the cause of much pain in the world, but I also believe that it has been and can be force for good.
YABC: What advice do you have for new writers?
Write the stories that sets your hearts on fire.
YABC: Is there anything that you would like to add?
Too often, we can be too dismissive of children’s literature. I want to say that kids deserve our best writing. I hope that this little book helps inspire them to be all they were created to be.
Book’s Title: ANDY JOHNSON AND THE MARCH FOR JUSTICE
Author: Esau McCaulley
Illustrator: Emmanuel Boateng
Release Date: December 17, 2024
Publisher: Convergent Books / Random House
ISBN-10: 0593580648
ISBN-13: 9780593580646
Genre: Children’s Books / Social Justice
Age Range: 4-8 years
~ Giveaway Details ~
Five (5) winners will receive a hardcover copy of ANDY JOHNSON AND THE MARCH FOR JUSTICE (Esau McCaulley)~US ONLY
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*
