“WELCOME TO THE CYPHER is a delight to read—a story that will move every part of you to a wild and wonderful beat.” —Jael Richardson, Author and Executive Director, The Festival of Literary Diversity

"WELCOME TO THE CYPHER is a beautiful, rhythmic exploration of the joy of language and self-expression. Our whole family loved how the bright illustrations and the bold words pulled us through this gorgeous book …We're HUGE fans!" —Bestselling authors, Alice Kuipers (the Polly Diamond series) & Yann Martel (Life of Pi)

Words burn bright in this joyful celebration of rap, creativity, and self-expression.

“Welcome to the cypher!

Now huddle up nice and snug.

You feel that circle around you?

Well, that’s a hip hop hug!” 

Starting with beatboxes and fingersnaps, an exuberant narrator introduces kids in his community to the powerful possibilities of rap, from turning “a simple phrase/into imagery that soars” to proclaiming, “this is a voice that represents me!” As Khodi Dill’s rhymes heat up, the diverse crew of kids—illustrated in Awuradwoa Afful’s bold, energetic style—gain self-confidence and a sense of freedom in this wonderful picture book debut that is perfect for reading aloud.