Meet Moses Hardie III of Butter Bird Books in Norcross

Today we’d like to introduce you to Moses Hardie, III.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Butter Bird Books started the day my oldest daughter was born. I don’t know… It’s something about becoming a parent that makes you so much more aware of things… I’ve always known black and brown faces were underrepresented as main characters on TV, in movies, and a multitude of other facets, but when my Clara was born (and eventually about 15 months later, my Layla) it was so evident by visits to the bookstore that my little girls were only going to see a handful of books on the shelf that had MAIN characters they could physically identify with. And just like that, it started.

The name? Well when Clara was born, she was premature. Not by much, but when she’d cough, to me, it sounded like a little bird tweet so I started calling her “my bird”. Layla, my youngest, had this way about her, even before she could walk, of making her way to everyone in the room and sharing a smile, much like a butterfly does to flowers; flower to flower, person to person. They were the motivation behind the company, so Butter Bird Books was born.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I don’t even know if I can say the “road” has been paved yet honestly. I think, as a business owner, Butter Bird Books is still in its infancy stage. I’m still feeling my way through becoming an entrepreneur and thankfully have close friends that have stepped into more of a mastery of it. Butter Bird Books has many of the struggles that any startup would. Capital, exposure, time, and so on. But the creativity never stops. We’re (ok sure, it’s literally just me, but saying “we’re” sounds official lol) looking into future endeavors and partnering with others that have the strengths we lack to get to the next level.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Butter Bird Books – what should we know?
Butter Bird Books’ goal is simple: letting little black and brown girls and boys see images of themselves as more than “the friend of the main character” or as a background token figure. At a young age, subtle images are feed to kids that, without them realizing it, play into who they become. If a little black girl is only fed images of Elsa from Frozen or Snow White or Cinderella, her image of beauty becomes that and only that. It’s important for our children to know that Elsa may be beautiful, but so is Tiana from Princess and the Frog.

I am the author of all the titles at Butter Bird Books and have even tried my hand at illustration with the “Chicken In The Tree ” series. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some AMAZING black illustrators that have brought some of my simple ideas on paper to vibrant life!

I’m proud of the feedback I hear from parents saying “man, thank you for this! This is so needed!” I’m proud of the smiling faces of kids that just got one of the books at a book fair or event. But out of a list of proudest moments, I’d have to say that easily the proudest moment since the birth of Butter Bird Books, is when I hear my two little girls say to their friends at school “my daddy is an author!” while they proudly hold up their book for show and tell!

I think what sets Butter Bird Books apart would be titles like “A Monster Named Cancer”. In it, a little boy talks about his father as a superhero, fighting an actual monster named cancer. The story is actually based on my own father who was diagnosed with prostate cancer a few years back. I grew up thinking my dad was a superhero and wanted to write the story from the perspective of a kid at an age where he might not fully understand cancer. There are more stories in the works to speak to issues thought of to be out of the grasp of kids to understand, but put in a relatable way (Faith, divorce, single-parent homes, bullying, etc.).

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
It’s easy to see that the first two folks I’d have to give credit to are my little princesses. They are with me through good, bad and ugly and always remind me what my purpose is.

I’ve had far too many cheerleaders to list, but the most supportive of them all have been my parents and sister. You expect your family to cheer for you when you’re 10, but at 37, they are still shouting at the tops of their lungs with pride and never let me forget how much what I am doing is needed.

Life never has been and never will be perfect for anyone but, no one goes into anything hoping for the worse. That being said, sometimes, even after a devastating outcome, you’re able to still recognize the best of things. My daughters have an amazing mother that, without her taking loving care of them when I’d needed to do things for the business early on, Butter Bird Books would have failed before it began.

I seem to have a network of entrepreneur friends that aren’t only trying their hand at it but are successful giants at it through YEARS of hard work, determination, and drive. They keep me focused even through just watching them do what they do! (mini shout out: Jack, Jynxx, Boogie, Shaun, etc.)

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ButterBirdBooks.com
• Phone: 678-507-4373
• Email: butterbirdbooks@gmail.com
• Instagram: @ButterBirdBooks
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ButterBirdBooks/
• Twitter: @ButterBirdBooks

Image Credit:
Jack Manning, III of JaxonPhotoGroup

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