For most of my life, I’ve had two passions: normalizing diversity and becoming the living interpretation of Willy Wonka. The first passion sounds lofty but understandable; however, the second, I’ll admit, is completely strange.
Let me explain.
While many read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a silly and semi-eerie fictional children’s book, I saw it as a blueprint. With candy as a metaphor for products and services that awe-inspire children and stealthily provoke childlike wonder in adults, I can create a closer bond between adults and children.
The average lifespan of a human being is 79 years old. While…
In a conversation about the picture books I’ve published and am working on, I was asked why my stories don’t have culturally specific topics, issues, or problems. To translate that question, they’re asking why I don’t have books that promote black pride to show kids that just because they do not look and sound like the majority, they are still special. This is typically done with books on skin, culture, and hair, etc. (headline topics that African Americans face the most bigotry and racism on), as well as historical non-fiction books on groundbreaking figures (people that history books forget to…
An Oompa Loompa’s closing arguments. (Transcript)
Below is a transcript of the closing arguments made by inmate 0142410314, Mr. Toompa Parpappa Doompa, in the unfortunate case of Doompa v. Wonka. Without any formal representation, Doompa decided to represent himself. However, we are unsure that he understood how the law works.
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I, Toompa P. Doompa, the commonly misunderstood Oompa Loompa, hereby announce that I detest my rude, obnoxious, over zealous boss, William Wonka. Ladies and gentlemen, he is not the man you think he is. He is cruel and torturous. He saw joy and humor in the way that ignorant reporter, Roald Dahl, portrayed us in…
JQ Sirls
Creative Director & Publisher
