A young boy is helping other kids discover self love.
Aiden Taylor found himself with more time on his hands last spring when school was out and he was forced to quarantine due to COVID-19. The 11-year-old decided to write an ode to his hair, Me and My Afro.
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“It’s been incredible to watch the perseverance he’s had in writing and promoting the book,” said Aiden’s 27-year-old mentor Spencer Jaffe to People.
“Aiden just shows if you put your mind to something, you can accomplish anything.”
The book follows Taylor and his fro as they navigate the City from the basketball court to riding the bus.
The sixth grader has a love for reading and said his goal is to encourage kids to “love the way they are.”
Jaffe is Taylor’s “big brother” through the New York City’s Big Brothers Big Sisters program. He said the youngster has even inspired him.
“Aiden’s book has inspired so many kids already … I might be the big brother, but I learn from Aiden every day.”
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Jaffe assisted Taylor is editing the 26-page book via Zoom. The book was published in August and has already sold 1,400 copies.
Taylor’s mother Monique helped him get the book published.
“Her job was telling the publisher and the illustrator [Tana Teeya] what I wanted the pictures to look like,” Taylor said. “For example, I wanted a picture of an ice skating rink downtown and there’s water behind it, and when they first drew it, there was no water behind it, so she told them and they fixed it.”
Taylor said writing Me and My Afro was a no brainer because it gives kids “something to do [at home] — and who doesn’t want to learn about self-love?”
The book is available via Amazon.
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