Celebrating Black poets in This is Not a Small Voice
About Author
Award-winning author Traci N Todd introduces This is Not a Small Voice, an inspiring poetry collection by Black poets from around the world, from the past and present.
Traci's earlier books include the award-winning Nina: A Story of Nina Simone, Holding Her Own: The Exceptional Life of Jackie Ormes, and Make a Pretty Sound: A Story of Ella Jenkins. Traci has also worked as a children's book editor for over 20 years, and is responsible for titles including bestseller The ABCs of Black History.
Traci writes and edits in Queens, New York, and when she isn't working, she likes to watch scary movies in the dark.
Interview
October 2025
Traci N Todd shares and celebrates Black poets in This is Not a Small Voice (Nosy Crow)
Traci N Todd's This is Not a Small Voice, illustrated by Jade Orlando, is a landmark anthology of poems by Black poets for children, and includes poetry from the past and present, and from all around the world.
Traci wanted to create the collection for all children, but tells ReadingZone that she had Black children in mind as she chose the poems: "I wanted them to see that their lives, their culture, are worthy of poetry, too."
In this month's indepth Q&A, we find out about Traci's early introduction to poetry, what children can expect to find in This is Not a Small Voice, and how she hopes the anthology will inspire them in their own love of poetry. We also share some spreads, illustrated by Jade Orlando, to give you a glimpse inside its pages.
Review: "This collection immerses you in rich, thought-provoking language and the illustrations capture so much of the essence of each poem."
Q&A with Traci N Todd
"The thing that inspires me most is the beauty, creativity, and resilience of Black people. I want all children
to know those stories, and I want Black children to feel a particular sense of pride."
1. Thank you for joining us on ReadingZone to introduce your poetry collection, This is Not a Small Voice. Can you start by telling us a little about yourself as a writer and your job as an editor?
Thanks so much for having me! I've been a children's book editor for more than 20 years, working on everything from board books to graphic novels. But way before that, I was a writer. I was always writing as a child, I think because I really loved words. I liked learning new ones and playing with their meanings. I like rhyming and giving people strange nicknames. I was just really into words. I published my first book - Nina: A Story of Nina Simone - in 2021.
As an editor, I take a manuscript in its rough form, and work with the writer to get it into shape. We talk about audience and story, word choice and tone, where to offer more information, where to offer less. It's really about making suggestions to help the author make their story the very best it can be.
2. How did your interest in poetry develop? Which Black poets did you grow up with and how does poetry feature in your life now?
My parents raised me to love poetry, especially poems by Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks (a native Chicagoan, like me), Mari Evans, and Lucille Clifton. There was a lot of music in the house growing up as well, and I developed a good ear for rhythm that definitely spilled over into my writing.
Additionally, my dad was a civil rights activist who walked around the house practicing his speeches. I think I developed a sense of rhythmic language that way, too. Now I try to be poetic in my writing, even if I'm not writing poetry. I try to write musically, rhythmically, and to play with words and their meaning.
3. Can you tell us about your new poetry collection, This is Not a Small Voice: Poems by Black Poets, and who features in the collection?
This Is Not a Small Voice is a collection of 100 poems by Black poets from countries throughout the diaspora, like the U.S., Great Britain, Guyana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Jamaica, to name just a few. There are joyful poems about nature, hair, and play, and more challenging poems about racism and police violence.
When the poems get a little intense, we start the day again with poems about morning. And the one image that is conjured more than any other in these poems is stars. Plus there are a few brand new poems that were written exclusively for this collection.
4. Why did you want to create a book of poems for children by Black poets? What is your aim with the collection - and why is it so needed?
When Nosy Crow, the publisher, invited me to create this collection, I jumped at the chance. I wanted to create something beautiful and honest for Black children specifically. The book is for everyone, but I had Black children in mind as I chose the poems. I wanted them to see that their lives, their culture, are worthy of poetry, too.
5. This is a very international collection of poets, and includes poems from the past as well as present. How did you choose the poems and poets you wanted to include?
I knew I had only 100 poems to work with and that I couldn't include everyone! And because the book is being published in the US and the UK, I had to choose poets that would be familiar in both places. With those things in mind, I thought more about the story I wanted the poems to tell, from hope to hope and dream to dream.
The book begins and ends with poems by Langston Hughes. His language is accessible, and he was very much for the culture. From there, I looked for as many different stories of Blackness as I could find.
6. Why did you choose the title of Sonia Sanchez's poem, This is Not a Small Voice, as the title of your collection? Do any of these poems hold a special place for you?
At some point, 'This Is Not a Small Voice' just felt right. I started referring to the book that way, and I'm so grateful that Ms. Sanchez agreed to let us use her poem and her title as our title!
All the poems are of equal value to me, but I'm especially pleased to include Audre Lorde, Jessie Fauset, Pauli Murray, and Gil Scott Herron, names that children might not otherwise encounter. I hope they're curious enough to find out who those people were and read more by them.
I'm also thrilled to introduce children to the haiku of Richard Wright, someone they might encounter later, but only as a novelist. How wonderful it would be for children to think of the author of Native Son as a poet first!
7. This is Not a Small Voice is illustrated throughout by Jade Orlando. What do you think her illustrations bring to the collection?
I hope children will find joy in these pages, and Jade's illustrations are a huge part of that. She brings light and play to even the heavier pieces and her work is just so beautiful. Just look at that cover! I feel very fortunate to have partnered with her on this project!
8. What would you like children to take from this collection?
I hope this collection helps children discover that there are many voices, many ways to exist in the world, and we all have poetry within us.
9. Have there been times in your life when poetry changed something for you or in you? How can we encourage more children to be open to poetry - and to grow our future poets?
I hope children realize that poetry doesn't have to be academic, that it can be accessible, playful and fun. There's a way we approach poetry - that I hope is changing! - that makes it feel remote, stuffy, and elite. But when we expand our notions of poetry to include song, rap, and playground games, for example, we remind children that poetry is everywhere and has always been meant for them.
10. Are you writing more books for young readers currently? What else, other than poetry, inspires you in your day-to-day life?
I am! My next book comes out in April and is called Hello, Beautiful. It's illustrated by the amazing Loveis Wise. After that, I have five books coming out between now and 2030. And I'm always cooking up something new.
The thing that inspires me most is the beauty, creativity, and resilience of Black people. I want all children to know those stories, and I want Black children to feel a particular sense of pride.
This Is Not A Small Voice: Poems by Black Poets
