( ENSPIRE She Did That ) Empowering Young Readers Through Representation, Imagination, and Meaningful Storytelling
ENSPIRE Contributor: Serena Chen
Award-winning Afro-Latina children’s author, toy maker, and illustrator Yesenia Moises is redefining what it means to grow up represented. With empowering storytelling rooted in her Dominican-American heritage and background in toy design, Yesenia creates joyful, inclusive books that inspire the next generation of young readers to embrace their identities, making her an essential voice in children’s literature. From her past books, such as “Stella’s Stellar Hair,” to her newest release, “Sounds Like Joy,” Yesenia’s work celebrates self-expression, cultural pride, and the limitless imagination of young readers.
Yesenia creates stories that reflect and celebrate children, especially those from underrepresented communities. She is among a tiny group of Afro-Latinx authors who write children’s books, which CNN acknowledged in an article after “Stella’s Stellar Hair” launched. Yesenia’s mission mirrors ENSPIRE’s commitment to highlighting stories that spark inspiration and champion underserved voices. Her impact on children’s literature uplifts not only the next generation of readers but also paves the way for more inclusive storytelling in media, education, and beyond. She has also collaborated with notable figures like Serena Williams, Steph Curry, and Ludacris to help bring empowering stories to children worldwide.
You’ve mentioned not seeing many characters who looked like you growing up. How did that experience shape your journey into writing and illustrating inclusive children’s stories?
Whenever characters that looked like me would appear in the media that I consumed growing up, I noticed that they seemed to consistently fall into certain roles. Their roles limited them in the way that they showed up on screen and in between the pages of the books that I read. Seeing that as a child limited my own worldview on who I could be, where I could go, what I could do in life, and it wasn’t until I started to have a lot more self-love and compassion for myself as an adult, that I realized that for a lot of Black and brown people, it’s tough for them to escape the mold of how the media perceives them. Something that I’m passionate about is making sure that people who look like me can see themselves as leaders and champions. That they can envision themselves as the protagonists of their own story and know that they are magical.
Your books are vibrant, joyful, and full of imagination. How does your background in toy design influence how you bring characters and worlds to life on the page?
My background in toy design plays a major role in the way that I show up in both my art and my stories. I went to the Fashion Institute of Technology and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in toy design. For our thesis, we had to create a character and build out a world and product line for them. That experience taught me about what makes a character and story something that can expand beyond the confines of a screen or a page in a book. It taught me about how the hero’s journey can create the foundation for a world of imagination.
“Sounds Like Joy” celebrates music and community. What inspired this story, and how does your relationship with music influence the characters? What message do you hope young readers take away from the book?
“Sounds like Joy” was inspired by an artwork piece that I had posted online years ago. It was of a mermaid who was serenely sitting on some coral surrounded by a sea of fish. When I posted it online, the number one thing that I noticed from people whenever they would comment on this particular piece of artwork was that my artwork brought them joy. I wanted to create a story that encapsulated the feeling of joy, both when you saw the artwork and when you were reading it, and the way that I found to blend those two elements together was to use music and sound. “Sounds Like Joy” is meant to be a fun read-aloud experience. In the story, Joy’s ocean friends band together to show her the wondrous tunes of the ocean blue after her new noise maker, which she lovingly calls a jingle-jangle, stops making the sound that she loves. The message that I want readers to take away from the story, more than anything, is that joy is a lot closer than you think.
You’ve collaborated with icons like Serena Williams and Steph Curry. How did those projects come to be, and what did you take away from working with such influential figures in storytelling?
In the case of Serena Williams’ book, “The Adventures of Qai Qai,” I was approached by Invisible Universe, the animation company behind internet sensation Qai Qai, who is a doll that has essentially come to life. I was approached because they were interested in working on a story centered around Qai Qai, which was an uplifting tale about learning to believe in yourself, trusting that you have what it takes to be amazing. In the case of Steph Curry, I was approached by a company called Literati, a book subscription box that works in partnership with Eat. Learn. Play., Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s literacy nonprofit that aims to get books into the hands of the children that need them most. During the pandemic, they wanted to put together a very special box for Christmas 2020 that celebrated the magic that is Oakland. I was commissioned to create artwork for posters and miniature postcards that would be included in each box for their holiday drive. The biggest thing that I took away from working on both of these projects was the impact that sharing your story can have on the world and the power of perseverance.
What do you think are the lasting effects when children see themselves reflected in the stories they read? And how do you approach writing fun and significant books regarding identity and representation?
I think when kids see themselves reflected in the stories they read, it expands their worldview and allows them to aspire to greatness in ways that they may not have considered. I’m a firm believer in the power of ‘what if’ in scenarios where creativity is involved, and it’s a major driving force for the stories that I create. More often than not, when I’m writing, that single question can open doors when I’m stuck on a plot point and change the way I view the challenges that I’m facing. I think that if you don’t see yourself reflected in stories, you miss the opportunity to see yourself as the amazing and magical person that you are meant to be.
What advice would you give young creatives, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, who want to tell their stories and see themselves in the media?
The biggest thing is to start. For a lot of people, when they sit down in front of a blank page, there’s this overwhelming feeling that their every word needs to be perfect. Over the years, I’ve come to accept that perfect is never going to happen and that it’s much more important to take baby steps and build from there. I think being in motion and making something, even if you don’t think it’s the greatest initially, is still progress that’ll eventually get you to where you want to go. So my message to the young creatives out there is to just start.
Yesenia’s newest book, “Sounds Like Joy,” was recently released on May 6, celebrating the power of music and togetherness. This follows her previous works, such as “Stella’s Stellar Hair” and “The Adventures of Qai Qai,” which have already received praise for their uplifting and empowering messages. Yesenia Moises is more than an author — she’s a force shaping the future of children’s literature. Through her vibrant art, inclusive storytelling, and unwavering dedication to representation, she’s inspiring the next generation to love who they are and dream even bigger. As she continues to break barriers and expand what’s possible in kids’ media, Yesenia reminds us of the power of being seen, celebrated, and heard.
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