Niece and Uncle Combine Talents To Launch New Children’s Book Series In Chicago

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, September 22, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Patricia Angel Marie Rogers, a Licensed Professional Counselor, and her uncle, Eric Z. Williams, a retired CPS Educator, have combined their gifts for creative writing, teaching, entertaining and counseling both children and adults to create The Chicago Kidz Book Series which began in 2024 with a focus on exploring the City’s iconic nicknames.

Like Dr. Seuss, they have taken a pen name or pseudonym, Ima Kidd, because they want to remember what it was like to be a child and center those developmental needs in their writing. Indeed, the first book in the nickname series, The Envy of the Winds: How Chicago Became Known as the Windy City, was first co-created by Williams with his son, Oronde, when he was a 10-year-old 5th grader at McDade Classical School in Chicago over twenty years ago. The book won 1st place in school, regional and citywide, which led Williams to vow to publish it when he retired into a career in writing.

Since the original book was lost by the time he retired, Williams was forced to rewrite the story which he made into the rhyming style of a Dr. Seuss book. Williams remarked, “I learned to read using those rhyming books by Dr. Seuss and taught my children and grandchildren to read using those books, so I knew the pedagogic value of that writing style.” However, it wasn’t until Williams visited his grandson, True’s, Kindergarten classroom in a CPS neighborhood school for Grandparent’s Day that he was pushed into action after learning that only two children knew how to read as they started
the academic year.

Williams was at his mom’s house in Morgan Park for Sunday Dinner with a mockup of The Envy of the Winds book, when his niece, Rogers, expressed interest in publishing the book since she had recently co-started an independent publishing company. Rogers, who was also already a published author of another children’s book about Black Inventors, Innovators and Influencers, said, “It was like the chocolate bumping into the peanut butter when my uncle showed up with his mock-up of Envy.” They immediately auditioned a few illustrators and decided to use Rahi Arts from Pakistan as they collaborated to bring the book to life!

Importantly, The Envy of the Winds, like other Chicago Kidz books, are written for children (ages 3-10) who are learning to read and reading to learn. They are also being written to promote literacy, celebrate diversity, and promote pride in living in Chicago. Rogers also used her creative writing gifts to pen a song for a music video trailer about “Envy” which they brought in another creative from Atlanta, Lauren, to co-produce. Lauren has since co-produced a music video trailer for their second book, The Chicago Kidz in the City That Works (2025), and one for The Chicago Kidz Book Series, which Williams and Rogers have launched around iconic nicknames.

The latest book in the nickname series is entitled, The Chicago Kidz In Chiberia (2026), with Rogers curating both the title song and music video on her own. Rogers said, “The Music Video Trailers are designed to get the kids and parents interested in reading the books! My uncle and I have formed our own creative arts company called Kuumba (Kiswahili for Creativity) Enterprises and become a featured brand of Cultureel Stories, which will produce any television or movies that emerge from The Chicago Kidz!”

Williams and Rogers are fast at work on the next book in the nickname series entitled, Second To None: Why Is Chicago Known As The Second City? They are also planning to write books about other iconic nicknames and about Chicago’s neighborhoods before taking The Chicago Kidz to visit and learn about other cities like New York, Atlanta, Houston and Los Angeles. Rogers and Williams also plan to take The Chicago Kidz to international cities like Johannesburg, Paris, Rio, Sydney, Beijing, Toronto, Accra, London and Dakar!

To purchase or learn more about their books and music videos go to their website at www.thechicagokidz.com. The books can also be purchased online at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. In person, you can find The Chicago Kidz books at several local bookstores and giftshops in Chicago, including Oh Yes at Navy Pier, Burst Into Books in Roseland, Open Books in Pilsen, The Newberry Library Bookstore in the Loop, Da Book Joint in South Shore, and The Haven in Beverly.

Patricia Rogers
Kuumba Enterprises LLC
+1 708-261-6042
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The Envy of The Winds Book Video Trailer

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