Englewood Native Modello Brown Releases ‘Nona’s Nerves,’ A Children’s Book Tackling Anxiety

ENGLEWOOD — Modello Brown is a man with a plan.

“I’m really looking to be the first person to bring the whole [Disney] Kingdom to our underprivileged communities,” he said.

This may seem like a tall order for the 33-year old Englewood native, whose company is called Hip Hop Littles; but in the past few years, Brown has been laying the foundation for what he envisions as a global leader in culture-blending multimedia. What started as an idea for a clothing line has moved into books for kids, animation and community-based events and sponsorships.

This month marks the release of Brown’s second book, “Nona’s Nerves.” Aimed at kids ages 3-8, the book addresses the anxiety children feel and how they cope with it.

Nona’s a fantastic singer, but the first time she has to perform in front of her school, she’s riddled with anxiety. Her friends help her work through her fears before taking the stage by telling her about all the times they’ve felt anxious about doing something they love to do. It’s a message of friendship and support that Brown said younger kids need to hear as often as possible.

“I treat people [based on] who they are, not where they are,” Brown told Block Club Chicago. “So that’s why my books implement a lot of friendship activity.”

The friend characters in Brown’s books thus far represent Asian, Hispanic, Black and white culture — purposely so. “Our vision is to redefine the blending culture we’re trying to be, [but] in order for that to be to be seen and understood, there has to be somebody to explain and create that vision,” he said.

His first Hip Hop Littles character — Jordan, based on a baby photo of himself — came into being as artwork for a hip-hop project he was involved in.

He spent time in the local underground hip-hop scene. After creating an animated version of himself as an image for a song, he decided to create more characters — and the Hip Hop Littles clothing line was born.

Brown created culturally representative animated characters and put them on shirts, caps, hoodies and other items. While the response to the clothes was positive, Brown eventually realized what Walt Disney understood: Who’s going to buy Mickey Mouse shirts or watches without a Mickey Mouse character in action?

“I was making music for the adult target audience,” Brown recalled, “but if I’m having a kid’s clothing line, what am I gonna create that’s gonna captivate kids and make them actually want to get a t-shirt?”

Brown’s first book, “Jordan’s First Day,” came out earlier this year, introducing the cast of characters that reappear in “Nona’s Nerves.”

“Jordan’s First Day” is about the character’s first day after moving to a new school. Jordan’s fears and worries are allayed by a crew of understanding friends. (If you grew up with the Fisher Price Little People toys and videos, you’ll have a sense of the world Brown is creating with his children’s books.)

Brown writes in simple rhymes and creates the animation with help from his co-illustrator. He has also teamed up with a second-grade teacher to develop curricula to accompany the books that teachers or parents can use to extend learning beyond the books.

The page is not the final destination: Brown is working on animated shorts featuring these same characters for 2024.

“I think my true inspiration was probably Looney Tunes,” says Brown. “I have a fascination with 3D animation and Disney and Pixar. I really love that they’re so distinct. Like, you were able to grasp the character, the characteristics without even hearing them speak. Just the artistry of that.”

His next book will focus on one of his characters dealing with depression and the support their friends provide to help them get through.

He’s also looking to create Hip Hop Littles mixers for kids — “team-building activities where kids work with other kids that they don’t know” — at unique venues like the puzzle-based Mish Mash Adventures in Aurora.

But perhaps his biggest endeavor for the coming year is his son. Brown became a dad earlier this year, which has him thinking about his future.

“I want to be remembered for something positive. I don’t want to be someone who was here and didn’t make a difference,” he said.

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