“Jeremiah Nebula is not a bullfrog. He is a black boy that loves pink things,” writes Myles E. Johnson, about the protagonist in his upcoming children’s book Large Fears. A collaboration between Johnson and Miami artist Kendrick Daye, Large Fears hopes to offers a space for children to think through safety, hurt, imagination, and family.
Jeremiah, the wide-eyed protagonist, is traveling to Mars and facing fears (big and small) along the way. Johnson’s abstract verse — inspired by Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss — and Daye’s masterful decoupage-style illustrations pair for dynamic storytelling bringing young Jeremiah to life.
“We wanted to see a queer black boy represented in children’s books and instead of waiting for it to come to be, we created it,” says Johnson.
Considering the work of visibility and representation, this children’s book will offer a vocabulary for so many young children of color who don’t see themselves in media. Moreover, Large Fears will give any children a language to think through fear, of any size, safely.
You can help Johnson and Daye tell Jeremiah’s story by supporting their Kickstarter. To learn more about the project, as well as the Large Fears children’s workshop, visit largefears.com.