About Us
OUR STORY
Born From Love. Inspired by Family. Built With Purpose.
Sometimes, our greatest purpose is discovered during life’s most difficult moments.
For Sharon Jones-Scaife, founder and CEO of Lil’ Marco and Friends, that purpose emerged from a deeply personal experience of love, loss, and the desire to help her family heal.
After losing her husband, Albert, to lung cancer in 2015, Sharon watched as her family struggled to navigate the heartbreak of losing someone they loved so dearly.
Sharon, Albert and family
As a mother of two Black sons and grandmother to three biracial grandchildren, she wanted to find children’s books that could help her grandchildren understand grief, express their emotions, and find comfort during an incredibly difficult time.
But her search revealed something troubling.
While books about grief and loss existed, she struggled to find stories that reflected her grandchildren, their family, and their experiences.
The absence of representation made an already difficult situation even more challenging.
Sharon knew that her grandchildren deserved to see themselves in the stories that were meant to help them heal.
And she knew they weren’t alone.
Across the country, countless children were growing up without regularly seeing their identities, families, cultures, and experiences reflected in the books available to them.
With more than 35 years of experience in graphic design, illustration, and writing, Sharon had the creative skills to do something about it.
So, when she couldn’t find the story her grandchildren needed, she decided to create one.
That decision led to I Miss You Papa, a heartfelt children’s book inspired by her family’s experience with grief and the enduring love between children and the people they cherish. In 2021, I Miss You Papa received the Literary Christian Award.
What began as a personal effort to bring comfort to her grandchildren awakened a much larger calling.
Sharon recognized that children’s books could do more than entertain. They could help children process emotions, build confidence, develop empathy, celebrate their individuality, and feel less alone in their experiences.
She began envisioning a collection of diverse characters and meaningful stories that would help children navigate everyday challenges while reinforcing positive values and a strong sense of self.
In 2018, Sharon established Coffee Creek Media Group, creating a foundation for her publishing and creative endeavors.
As her vision continued to grow, she officially established Lil’ Marco and Friends, LLC on March 21, 2022, building a dedicated children’s literacy and educational media brand.
Today, Lil’ Marco and Friends has grown into a collection of more than 25 children’s storybooks and activity titles, with over 60,000 books sold.
Through stories centered on kindness, respect, confidence, identity, grief, perseverance, and acceptance, the brand continues to help children recognize their value and discover the joy of reading.
What began as one grandmother’s desire to help her family heal has become a mission to reach children and families everywhere.
And although the company has grown, the heart behind it remains unchanged.
BEYOND THE BOOKS
Today, Lil’ Marco and his friends — Buttercup, Maddie, Haylie, Gus, Chris, Rihanna, Alex and Daniel — help children everywhere discover kindness, courage and confidence. Sharon brings these stories to life through author visits, writing workshops and Lil’ Marco on the Go appearances, and through the Lil’ Marco and Friends Literacy Initiative™, a national book giveaway helping more children discover the joy of reading.
RECOGNITION & PARTNERSHIPS
- 2021 — Literary Christian Award, I Miss You Papa
- 2026 — Women Entrepreneurs Leadership Forum
- 2026 — FC Dallas Homegrown Partner
- 2025 — Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses
- 2025 — Nasdaq Milestone Circle Cohort
- 2024 — Dallas Mavericks Business Assist Program
- 2025–2026 — Grant recipient: Show U Off Grant, As She Stewards Micro Grant, and Start.Pivot.Grow. Micro Grant
Every child deserves to see themselves in a story. Every child deserves to know they matter. And every child deserves the opportunity to believe in their dreams.
Lil’ Marco and Friends — A World Where Every Child Feels Seen.