
Unable to find a single book on business-building aimed at young readers – let alone young readers of color for his son, Jason Harvey created Sammy Startup, a young Black boy who takes his ideas from the drawing board to the final product with the help of his business team of toys and stuffed animals: Melvyn the dinosaur, head of marketing; Hattie the owl, head of finance; Reggie the action figure, head of product development; and Daryn the cephalopod, sales manager. As Sammy’s ideas come to life, Harvey said, his toys come to life too. Harvey’s book’s message centers more on a childlike spirit of creativity and self-belief, as well as the value of dedication, careful planning and persistence in the face of challenge.