Benjamin Losford and His Handy Dandy Clippers

After being rescued from a Kentucky slave plantation by his fugitive-slave father, Benjamin Losford used the skills he learned from his father to make his own way in life. What he learned as a barber allowed him to have a skill that would span three history-making generations of barbers.

Benjamin Losford and His Handy Dandy Clippers is an historical fiction based on the true-life story of Benjamin Losford of Edmore, Michigan. Benjamin's story inspires youth to find their gifts in life and use them to excel to places they could never have imagined.

Season Press LLC has created this book as the first in its new imprint, Community Voices, to share the stories of those who have made significant contributions to their communities, however are unsung heroes. It is the desire of Season Press to inspire others to seek out and highlight their own hometown heroes through the valuable resources in community libraries, museums, and archives.

Sean and Sonya Hollins used more than 30 years of experience in writing and graphic design to bring this story to life. Shirley Wulff and Fran Kondek of the Pine Forest Historical Museum in Edmore shared Benjamin's story with Sonya in order to find a way to highlight their town's first African American resident, and longest-running business in Edmore's history.

The true-life story was brought to life by illustrator Kenjji Jumanne-Marshall whose award-winning skills created a book that can be enjoyed by all ages. Guest youth editors: Shamiel, Syann and Sasha Hollins; Alayna and Nya Kuhn; and Malichi and Micah Grant, helped take the historical aspects of the story and make it enjoyable for young readers.