Markette Sheppard never planned to become a children’s author. She started as a journalist, but over time her work expanded into books, learning materials, and stories for young readers, especially stories that help children see themselves reflected in the world around them.
During the pandemic, Sheppard noticed that the educational materials sent home to her son did not reflect children of color. She responded by creating her own flashcards, worksheets, and coloring pages featuring Black children. For her, representation is not a trend, rather it is something children should experience every day.
That same purpose inspired her new, fourth children’s book, Grandma Dee’s Pineapple Upside Down Cake illustrated by Anne Vuitton Conquet (Markette Sheppard Publishing, September 22, 2026), which was loosely inspired by her real, late grandmother, Grandma Dee (fun fact, Markette received the nickname “Sugar” from her.) The rhyming story celebrates baking, family, memory, and love. It also preserves a piece of family history through the food and traditions passed down across generations.
“As grandchildren, you don’t really appreciate your grandparents,” the Emmy-winning host tells So Booking Cool. “I hope that she would know that all the lessons that she tried to teach me and all her grandchildren, and everything that she did for us, while we could not maybe see it in the moment—it sunk in. And I hope she would know that she is and was deeply loved and is and was deeply appreciated.”
With gold details, thick pages, and a keepsake design, Sheppard created what she describes as a luxurious children’s book, one she says she hopes reminds girls (especially girls who look like her) they deserve beauty, care, and high-quality experiences.
Sheppard is an Amazon top-rated author who made her debut with What Is Light?, a picture book illustrated by Cathy Johnson and published by Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Her other children’s books include My Rainy Day Rockets Ship illustrated by Charly Palmer, and Ninja Nate, illustrated by Robert Paul Jr.
Check out the full conversation to learn more about Sheppard, her thoughts on legacy, her evolution as a four-time children’s book author, and her plans to reinvent herself with her fifth book. For more information, visit her official website.