Today, we raise our glasses and toast to children’s books author, Rayna Best of RB Scribes.
Rayna Best, mother to three daughters, in Richmond, California is highlighting challenges within the mental health of the Black community. She’s bringing forth solutions by addressing them where they first begin– in our children.
Rayna’s first self-published book, Animated Like Me, tells the story of a zebra named Kamron, inspired by her oldest daughter. Comparatively, Kamron has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms making him different from the rest of the zebras. As a result, he struggles with inclusion. He goes on to find a friend, Kamille, who is just as “animated.” Kamille lovingly accepts Kamron for who he is and teaches him to embrace his authenticity.
The story covers so much more in the Black culture than ADHD alone. It’s a conversation of self-discovery, inclusion, self-acceptance, and basic life principles in communicating and interacting with others. Rayna explains as a child how she struggled with the absence of her mother. Later, she discovered beauty for ashes when her challenges led to her passion for journaling. It became her coping mechanism when she needed an outlet to freely express her childhood experiences.
The Vision
Rayna’s vision was to build a brand that represents her children. After her first book, she wrote her second self-published book, My Skin Has Shapes. She decided to include Black characters inspired by her second daughter who has skin discoloration.
This books sends the perfect positive message. Rayna shifted the focus allowing the main character to accept her skin uniqueness with love rather than as an obstacle. The main character openly loves her natural skin. She has magical dreams that her skin is an array of colors and shapes. It didn’t start with her hating her skin, then finding value in herself. Many Black girls are, in fact, taught confidence, strength and self-love at an early age.
The Mission
Rayna seeks to inspire children with special needs by spreading the message of inclusion. As unique as a situation may seem, there are others out there who can relate to you. As for children without skin discoloration, Rayna hopes to educate them on how to interact with someone who is different.
Rayna pays homage to other books that support the Black community and have inspired her writing including:
- Hair Love by Matthew Cherry
- Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o
- Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn
In the back of each book, Rayna shares parental tips and resources. It serves as a guide on where to begin cultivating loving relationships for a child with special needs. Be sure to check out the next virtual story time via Instagram Live that features other books and authors.
Rayna plans to pursue her path as a motivational speaker for adolescent girls. By the end of the year, we may expect to see a sequel to Animated Like Me that will cover children with anxiety. We plan to hold her accountable to that because we’re anxious to be apart of what’s next for our future representatives!
To contact or purchase RB Scribes books and other children’s activities, find the information below:
RB Scribes
Rayna Best
rbscribes@gmail.com
www.rbscribes.com
Books may be purchased at Amazon, Walmart.com, and Barnes & Nobles.
