DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — A Harrisburg native used the power of his imagination to help dispel false narratives about African-American families.
Dr. Daruis Walker, the author of "The Ship and the Jungle", is a children's book that centers on a Black family who buys a furniture set that sails them off to a mystical island and must overcome obstacles to return home.
"Growing up, I didn’t see that many books with .. positive imagery for Blacks or Black families," said Walker.
The University of Wisconsin’s Cooperative Children’s Book Center evaluated over 3,000 children’s books published in 2018 and found that White characters were featured in half of the books and Black protagonists were 10% of the total.
Walker, the associate director of innovation and commercialization at Weill Cornell Medicine, says he also created the book so his children can always have a story that reflects them.
The Allison Hill native also says the book took four-year to complete. He adds that having accurate illustrations of the characters was one of the major steps to bring his story to life.
Brian Allen of Flyland Design gathered traits to develop the character's ethnicity and body type, according to Walker. Allen also utilized pictures of Walker's family, who are represented as characters in the book, to create their design.
Walker says it was important for him to write a book that doesn't focus on traditional themes and lessons, but instead provides an entertaining story with nuanced motifs of teamwork and perseverance.
“I wanted it to just be a fun book, said Walker. “I wanted it to be something that you can just, you know, enjoy."
The book references historical African-Americans including Toussaint Louverture, the leader of the Haitian Revolution and Queen Nefertiti.
Walker says since the book's release, he has received positive feedback from not only children but teenagers and adults.
“I think that it’s a fun book and family members of all ages can enjoy it,"
If you want to purchase "The Ship and the Jungle", click here.