Youngstown man visits Boardman schools to discuss his children’s books

BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) – A Youngstown man left the medical field to write and draw children’s books.
He visited all Boardman Elementary Schools this past week, teaching them about diversity.

Steve Brown grew up on Youngstown’s East Side. He was a medical laboratory technician for Cleveland Clinic.

When the coronavirus pandemic started, Brown came home to care for a family member. He ended up having more time on his hands and fell into a hobby from his childhood: writing and drawing.

“I was home with my brother, so I started doing a lot of more work: illustrations,” Brown said.

Brown started making his own children’s books. Little did he know, his hobby would grow into something more.

“I did one. People liked it and then another. Next thing I know, I have 15 books,” he said.

Brown writes under the pen name “Dynamo Flapdoodle.” The name comes from one of his former teachers. She called him a ‘dynamite fantastic doodler’ for his love of drawing.

“I originally started at YSU for art, and I’ve always been interested in art,” he said.

Brown’s books address topics like stress, acceptance and diversity — topics not often discussed with younger kids. He said teaching them about these points is crucial.

“If you teach them now why they’re young, you know about diversity. As they grow, they mature into it. And it’s not a thing. It’s everyone is everyone,” Brown said.

Brown has four more books ready to publish. He’s also making an educational YouTube channel around his books.

He hopes to continue inspiring kids with his stories.

“I love to read when I was little. Reading is so important. Be extraordinary and read,” he said.