Books provide an opportunity through which children can learn what it means to be in the world and to respond flexibly and creatively to a diverse range of situations. Author/illustrator Kadir Nelson creates books that provide these opportunities for readers of all ages. A dominant theme in current conversations surrounding children's literature includes the representation of diversity in books, as well as in the authors and awards for children's books. Nelson writes through his own diverse lens, inviting readers to become insiders in a culture and time that may be different from their own. This article discusses the work of author-illustrator Kadir Nelson, who is the featured speaker for the 2015 Children's Literature Assembly Breakfast.