Ezra Jack Keats was an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He won the 1963 Caldecott Medal for illustrating The Snowy Day, which he also wrote. Keats wrote A Letter to Amy and Hi, Cat! but he was most famous for The Snowy Day. It is considered one of the most important American books of the 20th century.
Janina Domańska was a Polish-born American artist, author and illustrator. She is best known for her self-illustrated children's books. She won a Caldecott Honor for her book If All the Seas Were One Sea in 1972.
The Snowy Day is a 1962 American children's picture book by American author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats. It features Peter, an African American boy, who explores his neighborhood after the season's first snowfall. Keats’ illustrations helped pave the way for more inclusive and diverse children's literature. Keats received the 1963 Caldecott Medal for his collage artwork, which made The Snowy Day the first picture book with an African American protagonist to win a major children's award. The book's reception was largely positive, although some critics pointed out subtle stereotypes, such as how Peter's mother was portrayed. Since its publication The Snowy Day has sold millions of copies and has been translated, adapted, and honored leaving a lasting impression on generations of readers.
Deborah Wiles is a children's book author. Her second novel, Each Little Bird That Sings, was a 2005 National Book Award finalist. Her documentary novel, Revolution, was a 2014 National Book Award finalist. Wiles received the PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship in 2004 and the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award in 2005. Her fiction centers on home, family, kinship, and community, and often deals with historical events, social justice issues, and childhood reactions to those events, as well as everyday childhood moments and mysteries, most taken directly from her childhood. She often says, "I take my personal narrative and turn it into story."
Freedom Summer is a children's picture book written by Deborah Wiles and illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue. Originally published as a hardcover edition in 2001, the book is now available as a paperback from Simon & Schuster.
Keats's Neighborhood is a 2002 children's picture book collecting several works by American author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats. The collection brings together nine of his stories, including the 1963 Caldecott Medal-winning book The Snowy Day, Caldecott Honor book Goggles! and Peter's Chair. It includes an introduction to his work by Anita Silvey, a brief biography, and a section of comments on his legacy by other writers and illustrators.
Kitten for a Day is a 1974 children's picture book by American author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats, about a puppy that joins a litter of kittens for a day.
Pet Show! is a 1972 children's picture book by American author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats. In an animated movie by Weston Woods Studios, Inc. in 1992, Terry Alexander narrated the movie with music by Fred Weinberg and Joe Beck.
Peter's Chair is a 1967 children's picture book by American author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats.
Whistle for Willie is a 1964 children's picture book by American author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats.
The Ezra Jack Keats Book Award is an annual U.S. literary award.
Christian Robinson is an American illustrator of children's books and an animator. He is based in Sacramento, California and has worked with The Sesame Street Workshop and Pixar Animation Studios. He graduated from the California Institute of the Arts.
Phoebe Wahl is an illustrator, sculptor and children's book author from the United States. She is the author of Sonya's Chickens, for which she earned the Ezra Jack Keats Book Award for New Illustrator and a Kirkus Star. Her primary media are watercolor, collage and fabric sculpture. Wahl's work deals with "themes of comfort, nostalgia and intimacy with nature and one another".
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat is a 2016 picture book biography by Javaka Steptoe about Jean-Michel Basquiat. Using a style similar to Basquiat's, the book tells the story of his childhood and early career. It won the 2017 Caldecott Medal and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for its illustrations.
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut is a 2017 picture book by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James. The book, Barnes' first picture book, is a poem describing a boy's feelings and experience while getting a haircut. James, who was not the first choice to be the illustrator, wanted the oil color illustrations to have the feel of fine art.
Thank You, Omu! is a 2018 picture book written and illustrated by Oge Mora. The story is about Omu, who cooks a stew and shares it with her neighbors; they show their gratitude by bringing her food. The book started as an assignment for a class of Mora's at the Rhode Island School of Design, where it was seen by an editor from Little, Brown. Thank You, Omu was well reviewed and a recipient of the 2019 Caldecott Honor for its illustrations. The book's mixed media drew praise for their detailed depictions of characters and locations.
Jessica Love is an American theater actress, author, and illustrator. She is best known for her debut children's picture book Julián is a Mermaid, which has won the Stonewall Book Award and Klaus Flugge Prize. All of her books are LGBTQ+ friendly.
Bird, written by Zetta Elliott and illustrated by Shadra Strickland, is a picture book written in 2008. It won the New Voices Award Honor from its publishing company Lee & Low Books Incorporation.
Zeke Peña is an American cartoonist, illustrator, and writer. He has won multiple awards for illustration, including for his work in two books by Isabel Quintero; My Papi Has a Motorcycle and Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide. His work deals with themes of American history, the culture of the border region, folklore, and social justice.
The Paperboy is a 1996 children's picture book by American author and illustrator Dav Pilkey. Inspired by Pilkey's own experiences as a paperboy, it tells the story of a paperboy and his dog as they deliver newspapers in the early hours of the morning. The Paperboy received positive reviews from critics and was awarded a 1997 Caldecott Honor for its illustrations.
