Oliver Sims, Jr.

Yo! Let’s have some fun! The Ollie Tamale series is inspired by my wonderful childhood in the Oakland, Bay Area. I loved to play. I still love to play. Some might say that I play too much! Ha! I hope that you enjoy reading my stories as much as I enjoyed the unintended field research; playing streets sports, hide and go seek, dancing, jumping rope, talking crazy, riding Big Wheels, skateboards, dirt bikes, 10-speeds with the natives of Frisco, B-Town and Oak Town.

When I was little, I had to stay fly (wear stylish clothing). So besides being the writer of the book, I had to be the fashion stylist of the book. Ollie Tamale had to have a star on his chest because he was a star. The illustrator, JaFleu, took on the fashion challenge and had the characters in the book looking NICE! So that’s why there are stylish graphic-Ts offered on our digital store. And more gear to come.

Back to the book though. Please believe, that my stories are written with the sincerity of Brother Malcom X and fueled by the dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. WE HAVE TO SAVE OUR CHILDREN. The illiteracy rate in African American communities is tragic. I’m pretty sure that I learned to read because I was blessed to have a big cousin, Yogi, reading all of the fairy tales to me over and over again because I wouldn’t stop begging her. Please read to our kids.