Keenan Jones is a Minnesota-based author, educator, and literacy advocate whose work celebrates Black joy, community, and authentic representation in children’s literature. A 2022 Mirrors & Windows Fellow at The Loft Literary Center, Keenan is the author of the acclaimed debut picture book Saturday Morning at the ‘Shop, published by Simon & Schuster and illustrated by Ken Daley (Cambridge, Ontario). The book received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly, praised for its rhythmic wordplay and intergenerational storytelling centered on the Black barbershop experience.
In 2026, Keenan was named the winner of the Texas Library Association Ashley Bryan Award and a 2026 finalist for the Minnesota Book Awards in the children’s literature category. Keenan writes stories that help young readers see themselves, dream boldly, and recognize the beauty of their communities.
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