Cara Byrne

Cara Byrne is a Lecturer in the Department of English at Case Western Reserve University, where she also holds a PhD and MA. Her research focuses on intersections of race, gender, and age in literary and visual texts, particularly in African American children's literature. She advises the Schubert Center for Child Studies on diverse children's literature and previously worked in educational non-profits.

Education: PhD & MA in English (Case Western Reserve University), BA in English and BS in Secondary Education (Bowling Green State University).

Research interests include:

• Visual representation of Black childhood in picture books
• Racial dynamics in children's media
• Feminist critiques of youth culture

Her book project Illustrating the Smallest Black Bodies traces 180 years of African American children's literature imagery. Recent publications analyze Little Man, Little Man, Zora Neale Hurston adaptations, and Trombone Shorty.

Awards: 2018 Emerging Scholar Award from the Children's Literature Association.