July 24, 2021
The magic in Leah Henderson’s message
This children's book author is hitting her stride with three books publishing this yearby Nancy Hitchcock
Leah Henderson ’94 has a message to share.
“You have possibilities in the world,” she says. “It is at the cornerstone of everything that folds into your life. You need to always and continuously be open and searching for them.”
This ideology weaves itself throughout Henderson’s books. And the children’s book author is hitting her stride in publishing right now—she has published three books in the past year and five more are in the queue.
In Together We March (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, January 2021), Henderson highlights 25 protest movements—and the stories of the courageous people behind them—that have helped foster equality and justice. The Magic in Changing Your Stars (Sterling Publishing Co., 2020) was inspired by Henderson’s viewing of a statue of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, a well-known Black American tap dancer from the early 20th century.
An avid book lover from a young age, Henderson rarely read anything that had main characters of color. Her parents, aware of this lack of diversity in literature for youth, frequently traveled with their children to historical sites and areas that highlighted Black culture and opportunities. Henderson, who is currently on the faculty of Spalding University’s School of Creative and Professional Writing, recalls one trip in particular—when the family drove to visit a Black cowboy museum in Colorado.
“I grew up with parents who wanted to make sure I saw all aspects of what it was like to be Black in America and in the world,” she says, “so it’s very important for me to highlight stories about Black joy and creativity.”
Henderson’s first book, One Shadow on the Wall, was inspired by a young boy she met while traveling in Senegal. The book was her way of reaching out to the boy, and others like him, to share hope and possibilities. She still keeps a photo of him on her desk.
“I want to depict the world I see and hope for, while encouraging others to do the same,” she says. “At one moment or another, we all need to be reminded to seek out our possibilities. And that’s what I hope my stories do.”
Categories: Alumni, Magazine, Magazine Online
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