“I’m looking for a parent to say "I love these books, my kids love them, and all of the characters really teach kids positive behavior… Honestly, the true reward would be a kid saying they did something a certain way because of how one of my characters did it. At that point, I’ll know I've achieved exactly what I’m here for, my reason for writing.” – Modello Brown
Award winning author Modello Brown grew up in the Englewood district of Chicago, Illinois in the early 90s. Being the honest and direct person that he is, he is never afraid to talk about the rough upbringing that he experienced. However, he regards himself as lucky to have been saved by the magic of music and art.
He is passionate about creating ways to teach young people about values, self-belief, and self-worth. The Hip-Hop Little series is one of the ways he hopes to capture the imagination of those children who might feel like they don’t have many options in life, and to provide them with tools Modello did not have himself growing up.
He is also a person who really knows the value of hard work, and believes in his passion. Between creating Hip-Hop Little stories, he also spends his days working on animation. Disney has been a huge inspiration since he was little. An inspiration that has fueled the majority of his artistic pursuits ever since. He also finds time to look up and learn about art, read inspirational books, and drive a truck at night to make a living!
One of the most important elements of Hip-Hop Littles is giving kids role models. His hope is every child who reads his books will see themselves reflected in one of the characters. This will help them to realize that any problem they have, other kids have too. They are not alone. In turn, this should give them the confidence to be themselves and to share their feeling without fear of judgment.
Ultimately, the Hip-Pop Littles series is about entertaining kids whilst teaching them that being themselves is something to be celebrated.