Brooks Craft Publishing · Author Presence Audit · November 2026

Just As It Is! deserves Hair Love-level reach.

We compared Janice Kenyatta's author brand and book presence, line by line, with the best-known picture book about a Black father, his daughter and her natural hair. On the surfaces that sell picture books, the gap is wide.

Our client

Janice Kenyatta

Just As It Is! · Janice Kenyatta, LLC · 2025 edition
No A+ Content15 ratings#4,688,866 in Books
VS
Benchmark

Matthew A. Cherry

Hair Love · Kokila / Penguin · 2019
Oscar-winning creator18,353 ratingsEditors' Pick
The verdict

Author Presence Score

Brooks Craft scores ten areas that decide whether a parent, teacher or librarian finds, trusts and buys a picture book. Each is rated from what is live today on Google, Amazon and the web.

34
out of 100
Janice Kenyatta — Just As It Is!
Critical gaps found
94
out of 100
Matthew A. Cherry — Hair Love
Category leader
Janice KenyattaMatthew A. Cherry
Google Knowledge Panel
4 / 10
Google book visibility
4 / 10
Author website
6 / 9
Amazon author presence
6 / 8
A+ Content
0 / 10
Categories & rank
1 / 9
Reviews & ratings
2 / 10
Formats (ebook, audio)
4 / 10
Wide distribution
2 / 9
Earned media & PR
5 / 9

Scores are Brooks Craft Publishing's assessment. Every figure on this page comes from live pages captured on November 7, 2026.

Amazon Best Sellers Rank
#4,688,866
vs #9,992 for Hair Love — about 470× lower
Amazon ratings
15
vs 18,353 for Hair Love
Same category, same shelf
#4,602
in Black & African American Story Books — Hair Love is #24
A+ Content
None
Competitor ads fill the space instead
Part 1

Author branding: 1:1 comparison

Each pair was captured the same day, at the same size. Janice is on the left, Matthew A. Cherry on the right.

01

Google search: the author's name

High gap

Janice has a Knowledge Panel, but it is a small one built from Google Books. It shows one book and a single "Author" label. Matthew A. Cherry's panel is built from Wikipedia and shows an Oscar, live posts, a video and a full biography.

Janice Kenyatta Google
Google results for Janice Kenyatta
  • Small Knowledge Panel with photos and a short bio
  • Panel lists one book only; no awards, no video, no website link
  • Bio pulled from Google Books, not controlled by Janice
  • Instagram 360+ and Facebook 860+ followers
Matthew A. Cherry Google
Google results for Matthew A. Cherry
  • Full panel: "American film director and writer", Academy Award
  • Live X posts and a YouTube interview inside the panel
  • Wikipedia, IMDb and X (269.7K followers) on page one
02

Google search: the book title

High gap

Both books trigger an AI Overview. Hair Love adds buy buttons for Kindle and Audible, a library search and read-aloud videos. Just As It Is! has none of these, and Google lists its details incorrectly.

Just As It Is! Google
Google results for Just As It Is
  • Genre listed as "Fiction" and Janice listed as the illustrator — both wrong
  • No "Read now" buy buttons, no library link
  • No video results for the book
Hair Love Google
Google results for Hair Love
  • "Read now" panel: Kindle, Audible and WorldCat library search
  • Penguin listing with price and 4.8★ rating
  • Read-aloud videos on page one
03

Website & book page

Gap

Janice's website is warm and personal, with a professional photo and school-visit pictures. Hair Love's book page is built to sell: a Best Seller flag, a Look Inside button and eight retailer buttons.

janicekenyatta.com Website
janicekenyatta.com homepage
  • Professional photo and clear "Educator · Storyteller · Author" line
  • No book cover or buy button above the fold
  • No newsletter sign-up or school-visit booking form
  • Buy options limited to her own shop and Amazon
Hair Love Book page
Hair Love book page
  • "Best Seller" flag and Look Inside preview
  • 8 retailer buttons: Amazon, B&N, BAM, Bookshop, Target, Walmart and more
  • Age range and a press quote from Jordan Peele
04

Amazon author presence

Gap

Janice's Author Store is set up properly. The difference is what a shopper sees next to the name: Hair Love searches return an Editors' Pick, five formats and a spin-off series.

Janice Kenyatta Author Store
Janice Kenyatta Amazon Author Store
  • Photo, bio, Follow button and 4 titles
  • "Most popular" slot shows Black Folk's Hair, not her picture book
  • No badges, no video
Matthew A. Cherry Amazon
Matthew A. Cherry on Amazon
  • "Editors' pick" badge on Hair Love
  • Spin-off Hair Love ABCs: 4.9★ from 256 ratings
  • Hardcover, paperback, Kindle, audiobook and audio CD
Part 2

Book presence on Amazon

Parents and grandparents buy most picture books on Amazon. This is where the gap costs Janice the most.

05

Product listing, above the fold

High gap

Hair Love opens with "A New York Times Bestseller", an Oscar tie-in and a Jordan Peele quote. Just As It Is! opens with a heartfelt but unpolished paragraph and no proof, even though Janice lists five awards elsewhere.

Just As It Is! Listing
Just As It Is Amazon listing
  • No awards, quotes or teacher endorsements in the description
  • Typos and loose punctuation ("is!..........AND")
  • Only 2 images; no Kindle, no audiobook, no badge
  • Reading age 3–10 years is too broad to target
Hair Love Listing
Hair Love Amazon listing
  • "Editors' pick: Best Books Ages 3–5" badge
  • NYT bestseller line and celebrity quote first
  • Kindle, Audiobook, Hardcover and Paperback plus an Audible sample
06

A+ Content

Critical gap

A+ Content is the illustrated section under the description. Hair Love uses it to show its art, three press quotes and a comparison chart that sells its other editions. On Janice's page the same space is filled with sponsored ads for other children's books.

Just As It Is! Below the fold
Sponsored competitor books on Just As It Is page
  • No A+ Content
  • Sponsored competitor books where A+ should be
  • Bilingual edition and activity book are never shown together
Hair Love From the Publisher
Hair Love A+ Content
  • Full-width illustrated banner: "There is NOTHING I — or my hair — CAN'T DO!"
  • Quote cards from Refinery29, Jordan Peele and Teen Vogue
  • Comparison chart cross-selling 3 editions with ratings and prices
07

Categories & Best Sellers Rank

Critical gap

Both books sit in Children's Black & African American Story Books. Hair Love ranks #24 there; Just As It Is! ranks #4,602. Hair Love also sits in Self-Esteem, the theme Janice's book is built on, while hers is not listed there at all.

Just As It Is! Product details
Just As It Is product details
  • #4,688,866 in Books
  • #4,602 Black & African American Story Books · #120,550 Children's Literature
  • Only 2 categories; no Self-Esteem placement
Hair Love Product details
Hair Love product details
  • #9,992 in Books
  • #24 Black & African American Story Books · #183 Self-Esteem · #769 Family Life
  • Grade level set: Preschool–3
Amazon factorJust As It Is!Hair LoveGap
Best Sellers Rank#4,688,866#9,992Critical
Shared category rank#4,602#24Critical
Ratings4.9★ · 15 ratings4.9★ · 18,353 ratingsHigh
A+ ContentNone (sponsored ads instead)Illustrated module + comparison chartCritical
BadgeNoneEditors' PickHigh
FormatsHardcover, paperbackHardcover, paperback, Kindle, Audible, audio CDHigh
Video on listing"Upload your video" (empty)Audible sample and product videosMedium
Part 3

Where readers can find the book

Schools and libraries buy a large share of picture books. Hair Love is in every channel they use. Just As It Is! is limited to Amazon and Janice's own shop.

PlatformJust As It Is!Hair Love
Amazon printHardcover, paperback, bilingual edition, activity bookHardcover, paperback, board book, Spanish edition
Kindle ebookNot availableYes
AudiobookNot availableYes — narrated by Blue Ivy Carter
Barnes & NobleNot foundYes
Bookshop.org / indie storesNot foundYes
Target / WalmartNot foundBoth
Libraries (WorldCat, Libby, Hoopla)Not foundYes
Own website shopBooks, Abena doll, 48-piece puzzle, bundlesPublisher page with 8 retailer buttons
Part 4

Marketing presence

Janice's marketing is personal and school-centred — the right instinct for a picture book. Hair Love shows how one story becomes a film, a series, spin-off books and brand partnerships, all pointing back to the book.

ChannelJanice KenyattaMatthew A. Cherry
Bestseller listsNoneNew York Times bestseller
AwardsIndie awards listed on her site (BookFest, American Fiction Award and others)Academy Award (film), NAACP Image Award, Georgia Children's Book Award
Trade reviewsNone found (no Kirkus, Booklist or School Library Journal)Kirkus, Booklist, Publishers Weekly
Broadcast & pressWFMZ 69 News, local press, Times Square featureOscars coverage, national TV, HBO Max series Young Love
VideoTrailers on her site only, not on Amazon or YouTubeAnimated short film, read-aloud videos across YouTube
Spin-offsAbena doll, puzzle, activity book, bilingual editionHair Love ABCs, Picture Day, Spanish editions, Dove partnership
Social reachInstagram 360+, Facebook 860+, LinkedIn 580+X 269.7K followers
The Brooks Craft plan

How we close the gap in 90 days

Ordered by speed of impact: fix what Amazon and Google show today, then open the school and library channels that sell picture books for years.

Weeks 1–3

Fix Amazon

  • Description rewrite: awards and teacher quotes first, typos fixed
  • Categories moved into Self-Esteem, Family Life and Diversity
  • 7 keywords per format; reading age narrowed to 3–8
  • Illustrated A+ Content with an edition comparison chart
  • Book trailers and TV clip uploaded to the listing
Weeks 3–8

Build the brand

  • Knowledge Panel upgrade: correct genre and illustrator, add books and website
  • Website: book and buy buttons above the fold, newsletter, school-visit booking form, media kit
  • Kindle edition and wide distribution: B&N, Bookshop, libraries
Weeks 6–12

Grow sales

  • Teacher and parent review campaign to 100+ Amazon ratings
  • Trade review submission (Kirkus Indie or School Library Journal)
  • Amazon Ads aimed at Hair Love and I Am Enough readers
  • Free classroom kit and school-visit landing page
Corrected
Google Knowledge Panel
Approved
A+ Content
Top 500
in a children's category
100+
Amazon ratings
Live
Kindle + library listings

Janice's message is already powerful.
Her reach isn't — yet.

Brooks Craft Publishing will build the visibility Just As It Is! needs to sit beside the biggest names in children's books.