Kesi Augustine

happy birthday to FAITH TAKES THE TRAIN, 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 4.5 years in the making! truly my baby!! — conceived during 2020 lockdown, when i was… holding my heart every day. hearing… thump-thump-thump. reading… st. teresa of avila’s words: “EVERYONE IS A TRAVELER.” i’m so very proud of this collab with @mokshini , @lueditsbooks , Dana, and everyone at @harperkids . @stephfret for nurturing my voice with care and honesty. thank you to my friends for being the first to read and share early messy drafts with their precious little people, my boyfriend Kaprise for being a safe place for my playful bratty inner child, and to @akualezlihope for tirelessly validating my writing. FAITH is an ode to the many people supporting neighbors in need, but it’s also a reminder that being our authentic selves is always enough! thats the spark that can bring joy into our world, just like kids do! FAITH made me a better person. i sincerely hope that you love this work of art and that it opens your heart the way it did mine. available in bookstores now. ♥️ #faithtakesthetrain #kidlit #picturebooks

I’m celebrating my birthday weekend at one of my most favoritest places in the world! the @orlandosciencecenter ! we will have story time at 10:30 and 11:30 am on May 30, followed by tabling with signed copies of Faith Takes the Train. as always, 10% of proceeds go back to the museum to support access for marginalized communities. see you soon! #storytime #orlandoevents

(not blurry 21st century pic repost): me through Khushboo’s eyes ♥️ thank you @khushboo_.patel._ ☺️

thank you for the signage, support, and time today @writersblockbookstorefl !!!! ♥️📚 it was a pleasure to kick back, and play with poetry with @khushboo_.patel._ and friends. we appreciate you!

☀️📚 Kick Off Summer Reading with Us! Join us in-store on May 9th for an all-day celebration of stories and creativity celebrating Children’s Book Week! From 11 AM – 1 PM, we’re so excited to welcome authors: ✨ Khushboo Patel @khushboo_.patel._ Hosting a Poetry Play Workshop for all ages + chatting about her books, All That Chandni Knows & Stolen Colors ✨ Kesi Augustine @kesi.augustine Leading a special storytime with her picture book, Faith Takes the Train PLUS all day: 🎒 Summer reading picks 🎨 Arts & crafts 🎲 Games 🎁 Goodie bags Bring the kids, stay awhile, and celebrate the start of summer reading with us 💛 #childrensbookweek #summerreading #authorevent #storytime #indiebookstore

…the original artwork ((😱)) for Faith Takes the Train, by the 2026 Ezra Jack Keats Illustrator Award winner, @mokshini !!! 🎉 Mokshini, thank you for making this book a piece of art that encourages people to stop, listen, and enjoy its message. it’s obvious that the world needs more of your stories! I don’t know how to express how surreal this gift makes me feel. but a little secret… is when I first saw your artwork, my stomach flipped. I asked Harper to please see if working with you could be a reality. I’m happy you chose to invest in this project with @lueditsbooks 🥰 go girl!!!! we’re proud of you! congratulations!!!! 🍾🍾🍾

@mokshini @steffosterbrown #ejkawards 💘💘💘💐💐💐💐

at the EJK Awards I fell victim to my worst nightmare, a migraine attack 😞 I had this vision of walking across the stage and wearing my gold ensemble, sharing my speech, thanking the committee… 💔 but Mississippi!! was a huge blessing to me! I got to meet my @mokshini !!! ♥️♥️ who made sure I got tons of pics from the events. I got to be in @steffosterbrown heartwarming presence, receive patient care from Otha, meet several committee members, and be held emotionally by my writer friends. I feel a lot of pride in the growth i’ve made while walking with Faith Takes the Train. in being seen, supported, and taking time to travel and celebrate, and honor beautiful books! just a year ago i probably would’ve made up some excuse as to why i can’t fly. this year i fought tooth and nail to be there!! I took a selfie in the fit anyway ☺️ thank you EJK for the honor!!!

Join us on Tuesday, March 31st at 6 PM as we welcome Khushboo Patel and celebrate the launch of All That Chandi Knows— Patel’s debut middle grade novel! Patel will be joined in conversation with award winning children’s author and middle grade teacher Kesi Augustine @kesi.augustine . The evening will feature an exciting talk from the authors about all things children’s books, including a Q&A portion! Afterwards, guests will have the opportunity to get their books signed, talk with the authors, and snag some photos. Tickets available via Eventbrite at the link in our bio! 📚 #authorevent #authortalk #bookevent #indiebookstore #winterparkevents

✨ LoveLight Connection ✨ Weaving stories and hearts together, one collaboration at a time. Part of the joy of this journey as an author has been discovering the beautiful people and stories that find their way into my path. Again and again, I’m reminded that love truly is the thread connecting us all. Today I’m grateful to share my next Heart to Heart × LoveLight Press collaboration: Faith Takes the Train by Kesi Augustine. This story arrived with a message that feels especially needed: in life, we can pause, listen to our hearts, and follow where they lead. In Faith’s world, the heart isn’t just a feeling, it has a voice of its own. “Thump, thump, thump.” That’s the sound Faith’s heart makes when an old neighbor asks for spare change on the subway. What I love most about this story is that Faith’s heart truly speaks to her. And she listens. In small moments of connection with others, it gently guides her choices. As the story unfolds, Faith moves through the world with imagination, curiosity, and the kind of open-hearted innocence that children carry so naturally. Through her eyes, everyday encounters become moments of kindness, empathy, and possibility. The illustrations beautifully capture these moments, bringing Faith’s imagination and heart-led world to life on each page. Faith Takes the Train invites us to reflect on the kind of world we want to live in, not someday in the future, but right now. Faith is the kind of character who helps bring a little more “heaven on earth” into the everyday. And I believe we could all use more of that in the world today. Stories like this gently remind us that our hearts are always speaking if we take the time to listen. ✨ Pause for a moment… When was the last time you truly listened to your heart? Thank you, @kesi.augustine ✨for sharing Faith’s heart with the world. #LoveLightPress #ChildrensBooks #HeartCenteredParenting #BooksAboutKindness #PictureBookReview

I’m tabling at the very first Florida Children’s Book Festival this Saturday in Orlando (Loch Haven Park)! 🌞 there will be 40+ authors, panels, and theatre performances running throughout the weekend, including the phenomenal “Tiara’s Hat Parade,” based on the book by Kelly Starling Lyons. 10% of my proceeds will be donated to the @orlandofamilystage to support access to the arts. see y’all soon! @floridachildrensbookfest 🌈

… I can still see the starry walls in my childhood bedroom, books like Peter’s Chair, and of course, The Snowy Day. later on, in graduate school, I learned about The Snowy Days importance as the first picture book to represent the joy of Black childhood. today, it’s hot in Florida, but it’s still a snowy day: I am THRILLED to announce that I received the Ezra Jack Keats Writer Honor for my beloved Faith Takes the Train!!!!! 🚂 🕊️ thank you to the thoughtful committee at EJK. I am humbled that such a well read group granted me this honor. thank you to the team at Harper and to @stephfret and @redfoxliterary 🦊 I am also over the moon for @mokshini , who received this years Illustrator Award. recently, a NYPL patron said that this book teaches children about the power of observation. Mokshini captured the sheer delight of observing the many characters in our neighborhoods. i pray that our vision of a multicultural, compassionate world resonates with little hearts and minds during this difficult time for us as humans, thank you for the gift of writing, and for the privilege of recognition. ❤️ congratulations to all the awardees, I can’t wait to meet y’all in Mississippi! @ejkfoundation @usmdegrum @southernmisscbf  @harpercollins #TheSnowyDay #EJKAward #EzraJackKeats