Chicago niece and uncle launch children’s book series built around the city’s nicknames

Patricia Angel Marie Rogers and her uncle Eric Z. Williams have launched The Chicago Kidz Book Series, a Chicago-based children’s project aimed at literacy, diversity and civic pride. The series began in 2024 and is expanding with new books, music video trailers and plans for additional cities.

Why it matters: - The Chicago Kidz Book Series is aimed at children ages 3-10 who are learning to read and reading to learn. - The books are designed to promote literacy, celebrate diversity and build pride in Chicago. - The series also extends into music video trailers to help draw children and parents into the books.

What happened: - Patricia Angel Marie Rogers, a licensed professional counselor, and her uncle Eric Z. Williams, a retired CPS educator, launched The Chicago Kidz Book Series in 2024. - The series focuses on Chicago’s iconic nicknames and uses the pen name Ima Kidd. - The first book in the nickname series, The Envy of the Winds: How Chicago Became Known as the Windy City, started as a project Williams co-created with his son Oronde more than 20 years ago. - Williams and Rogers have now published or released multiple Chicago Kidz titles, including The Chicago Kidz in the City That Works (2025) and The Chicago Kidz In Chiberia (2026).

The details: - The original Envy of the Winds book won first place in school, regional and citywide competitions when Oronde was a 10-year-old fifth grader at McDade Classical School in Chicago. - Williams said he planned to publish the book after retiring, but the original version was lost and had to be rewritten. - Williams rewrote the story in a rhyming style inspired by Dr. Seuss books. - Williams said the format reflects the way he learned to read and later taught his children and grandchildren. - A visit to his grandson True’s kindergarten classroom in a CPS neighborhood school pushed Williams to move forward after he learned only two children knew how to read at the start of the school year. - Rogers expressed interest in publishing the book after Williams showed her a mockup at Sunday dinner in Morgan Park. - Rogers had recently co-started an independent publishing company and had already published a children’s book about Black inventors, innovators and influencers. - The pair auditioned illustrators and chose Rahi Arts in Pakistan. - Rogers wrote a song for the music video trailer for Envy, and another creative from Atlanta, Lauren, co-produced the trailer. - Lauren later co-produced a trailer for The Chicago Kidz in the City That Works and for The Chicago Kidz Book Series. - Rogers curated the title song and music video for The Chicago Kidz In Chiberia on her own. - Williams and Rogers formed Kuumba Enterprises, a creative arts company whose name uses the Kiswahili word for creativity. - The company has become a featured brand of Cultureel Stories, which they say will produce television or movies that grow out of The Chicago Kidz. - The books are available on the company website, The Chicago Kidz website, as well as Barnes & Noble and Amazon. - The books are also sold at Chicago locations 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.

Between the lines: - The project blends publishing, music and video content to create a broader children’s media brand. - The Dr. Seuss-style rhyme choice is meant to make the books easier for early readers to follow. - The literacy angle reflects a direct response to concerns about reading readiness in a CPS classroom. - The planned expansion beyond Chicago suggests the series is being positioned as a broader city-learning franchise, not just a local book line.

What's next: - Williams and Rogers are working on the next nickname book, Second To None: Why Is Chicago Known As The Second City? - They also plan books about Chicago neighborhoods. - The Chicago Kidz project is expected to expand to other U.S. cities, including New York, Atlanta, Houston and Los Angeles. - The pair also plan international stories tied to Johannesburg, Paris, Rio, Sydney, Beijing, Toronto, Accra, London and Dakar. - They are continuing to develop music video trailers and potential television or movie projects through Cultureel Stories.

The bottom line: - The Chicago Kidz is becoming a cross-platform children’s brand built around Chicago identity, early reading and family-centered storytelling.