K.E. Lewis is the author of Devonte’s Shoes, Never Take Your Rhino on A Plane, and Because of Dads.

Raised in Bishopville, SC, where the weather is hot and the accent thick, K.E. grew up in a community that was a haven, rich in generosity and Blackness, much like the community in his picture book, Devonte’s Shoes. Music and conversation floated across the yards equally in the Backstreet and Mohawk communities. Hands waved from passersby.

It was the language of his neighbors that first sparked K.E.’s love for it. Then on Sundays, when the church was rockin’ and the Spirit filled the place so much that people splayed out like giant X’s and Y’s, K.E. paid attention. He noticed gripping metaphors during a preacher’s sermon and striking similes when the deacons prayed.

When in the house, though, K.E. would read informational books, humorous books, and was introduced to some of the greats way before his time. He’d also watch Nickelodeon, National Geographic, and Animal Planet for hours on end, afterwards endlessly rattling off random facts, an annoying little something. Perhaps, this was the impetus to K.E. becoming a teacher.

Now K.E. finds himself juggling teaching, writing, and content development, having led socially impactful community projects and creating experiences in museums, blending both teaching and his love for words. K.E. seizes any moment to teach, delight. His joy is grabbing hold of an idea and seeing it to fruition and getting others to love words just as much as he does.