Author Spotlight Interview with Natasha Tarpley
Photo Credit: Natasha Tarpley
Reading Time: 5 Minutes
I am very grateful to God for the opportunity to interview Natasha Tarpley, the author of the popular children's books I Love My Hair and Bippity Bop Barbershop . Over the years, I have recommended her books to parents at many community events as well as in my online bookstore. She shares with me her inspiring story behind these books and also her recent book publications that we may add to our children's home library for summer reading. Visit my bookstore to learn more about her books to build children's home libraries at https://nationsproducts.com/ .
Nadine Muhammad: Please, would you tell our readers about yourself?
Natasha Tarpley: I was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, IL. I still live in Chicago and also in Upstate New York, where I get to spend time in the country, surrounded by nature, which is my favorite place to write. I started writing when I was seven years old. I was a pretty shy kid and I always preferred to do things by myself. Going to the library and reading were my favorite things to do. Opening a book, I always felt (and still do) like I was entering new world and experiences, which took me far beyond my everyday life, and also sparked my own imagination and curiosity. Reading books inspired me to start writing my own stories. I’ve been writing ever since, and I feel very fortunate to be able to do something I love as my career.
Nadine Muhammad: What was your motivation for writing your children's books: Bippity Bop Barbershop and I Love My Hair?
Photo Credit: Natasha Tarpley
Natasha Tarpley: I Love My Hair! and Bippity Bop Barbershop were my first books for children. They’ve been around for almost 30 years! In both titles, I wanted to write stories infused with love, whimsy, creativity, and a sense of the deep connection that I shared with my mother and family. I was also very concerned about and discouraged by the limited narratives and images of Blackness that seemed so prevalent in books targeted towards Black children in the 1990s and decades prior. My hope for I Love My Hair! and Bippity Bop Barbershop was to inject a new, more affirming, and celebratory energy into the genre. I wanted the books to feel like a warm hug for Black kids; one that would encourage them to connect with their inner-beauty and inspire a more wholistic love of self.
Photo Credit: Natasha Tarpley
Nadine Muhammad: Would you tell us the details of what your books are about? What are the benefits that readers will obtain from reading your books, and how will their lives be transformed?
Natasha Tarpley: As a children’s book author and media creator with over thirty years publishing experience, my work is widely considered to be pioneering in the movement to increase diversity and representation in children’s literature. It is also recognized for its celebration, prioritization, and joyful depictions of the inner-lives, everyday experiences, and expansive humanity of African American children, families, and communities. On an energetic level, I see the books and other media that I create as portals of respite, welcome, enjoyment, recognition, and exploration, where Black children and families are invited to revel in the loveliness of Blackness, and to discover the wonderful and evolving qualities that make them uniquely who they are.
I am very inspired by African Diaspora naming traditions where names are chosen based on ancestral connections, and aspects of a child’s personality, which are revealed after a time of observation. I also love the part of this tradition where elders embrace the child and embed in the child’s consciousness, the family’s and ancestors’ expectations, love, best hopes, and intentions for them in their lives going forward. I attempt to do the same thing in everything that I write. My work as a tangible manifestation of my best hopes and love for Black children. I believe that strengthening one’s connection to who they are shifts power dynamics and paradigms, in terms of how we as Black communities and individuals navigate and negotiate within the external world. It also helps us to define our own terms of value and non-negotiables.
Nadine Muhammad: Please share with us your recent book publications that we may add to our children's home library for summer reading?
Photo Credit: Natasha Tarpley
Natasha Tarpley: My most recent publications are picture books in the Keyana Loves… series. This series features Keyana McGee, a curious and imaginative 8-year-old African American girl who uses her BIG ideas to make life more interesting and fun for her friends and family. Books in the series include: Keyana Loves Her Family, Keyana Loves Her Friend, Keyana Loves School, and Keyana Loves Halloween (out August 2025).
Photo Credit: Natasha Tarpley
Photo Credit: Natasha Tarpley
Photo Credit: Natasha Tarpley
The Me I Choose to Be is a beautiful picture book that encourages children (and grown-ups) to discover the many qualities that make them unique, and to tap into their power to choose who they want to be and become.
Photo Credit: Natasha Tarpley
For older kids (ages 7-11), I would recommend my middle grade novel, The Harlem Charade (Scholastic, 2017). Set in the famed New York City neighborhood of Harlem, the story is about three 7th graders who must solve a mystery of Harlem’s past to save its future. This novel touches on themes of friendship, social justice, and the many ways kids can make a difference in their community.
Photo Credit: Natasha Tarpley
Please visit my author website for more information about these and other titles: https://natashatarpleywrites.com/
Tip: Learn how to self-publish a book on Amazon in Nadine's blog with this link below:
Nadine Muhammad has a Master of Science in Economic Development and Entrepreneurship. She is the owner of an online bookstore, Nation's Products, and NLM Economic Development Services. For a consultation with business plan writing or developing an economic development strategic plan for your community, send an email to nlmeconomicdevelopmentservices@gmail.com
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