Reginald Hudlin and Hudlin Entertainment have optioned the children’s illustrated book  I’m A Brilliant Little Black Boy! to adapt as an animated series.

Hudlin, the mastermind behind several iconic black film and television works like Boomerang, has also notably produced animated works such as The Boondocks and Bebe’s Kids. 

The book, written by Joshua Drummond and co-author Betty K. Bynum, “aims to address the void in animated network programming targeted to African American children in the age 6-11 demographic.”

“It’s important now, more than ever, that we show our boys positive reflections of themselvesKids respond to what they see. I’m A Brilliant Little Black Boy! is one of the best examples of regular boys having regular experiences. They have their own brand of creative brilliance. We just have to recognize it, channel it into a fun animation series and celebrate it,” Hudlin said in a statement. 

“There are no animated series for our boys right now. It’s time to address that. I grew up seeing limited reflections of myself, especially in animation form. Today, there aren’t any animated series starring ordinary Black boys just being cool and doing fun things. It’s my intention to help remedy that with Brilliant Boys!” said Drummond, who is a 22-year-old film student at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

The book was featured on The Steve Harvey Show, and Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson are quoted on the book’s cover. Actors like Vin Diesel, Michael Ealy and Omari Hardwick took part in a viral video for the book’s #Bbrilliant campaign.