Andrea Davis Pinkney

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Andrea Davis Pinkney
Andrea Davis Pinkney.jpg
Pinkney in 2025
Born
Andrea Rae Davis

(1963-09-25) September 25, 1963 (age 63)
Washington, D.C., United States
Education Syracuse University
OccupationsChildren's book author and publisher
Writing career
GenreChildren's literature
Notable awards Coretta Scott King Award
Website https://www.andreadavispinkney.net/

Andrea Davis Pinkney (born September 25, 1963) is an American author of numerous books for children and young adults. She is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of picture books, novels, works of historical fiction and nonfiction; she writes about African-American culture. In addition to her work as an author, Pinkney has had a career as a children's book publisher and editor, including as founder of the Jump at the Sun imprint at Hyperion Books for Children, the Disney Book Group (now Disney Publishing Worldwide). She is vice president and executive editor for Scholastic Children's Book Group at Scholastic Trade Books.

Contents

The books she has authored have won the Coretta Scott King Award and Coretta Scott King Honor Award, [1] the Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Medal, [2] the Carter G. Woodson Award, [3] the Children's Africana Book Award, [4] and others. Her books have received industry citations, among them the ALA Notable Books five times, [5] School Library Journal best books three times, [6] New York Times Editor's Choice and Notable books, and more. She has been nominated four times for the NAACP Image Award, twice for outstanding literary works for youth and teens [7] [8] and twice for outstanding literary works children. [9] [10]

Pinkney is a graduate of Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications and is a former member of the Newhouse School's Board of Trustees. She lives in New York City with her husband, two-time Caldecott Honor award-winning illustrator Brian Pinkney. She is the daughter-in-law of children's book illustrator Jerry Pinkney, the first African-American Illustrator to win the Caldecott Medal.

Biography

Andrea Rae Davis was born September 25, 1963, in Washington D.C. and was raised in Connecticut. [11] Her parents were involved in the civil rights movement and exposed her to the cause from early on, even taking her to the annual conference of the National Urban League during many of her summer vacations.[ citation needed ]

Pinkney graduated from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 1985 with a degree in journalism and began working as an editor at Mechanix Illustrated . She then went on to work as a senior editor at Essence , as well as an editor for the book publishers Simon & Schuster and Scholastic. She held leadership roles at Disney Publishing Worldwide and Houghton Mifflin Company. [2]

While working at Mechanix Illustrated, she met Brian Pinkney, a Caldecott Honor-winning children's book illustrator, whom she later married. [12] Collectively, the two have published nearly 70 books, [13] including the New York Times bestseller Sit In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down, [14] the Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor book Duke Ellington, the USA Today bestseller Ella Fitzgerald, [15] [16] Seven Candles for Kwanzaa, Dear Benjamin Banneker and others. The couple has also created the Bright Brown Baby board book series. [17]

She was chosen to deliver the 2014 May Hill Arbuthnot Lecture at the University of Minnesota Libraries, Children's Literature Research Collections, Saturday, May 3, 2014, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM (CDT). She was cited in January 2013 for "significant contributions to literature for young people provided through a body of work that brings a deeper understanding of African American heritage". She is recognized among Children's Health magazine's "25 Most Influential People in Our Children's Lives" and named among The Network Journal's "25 Most Influential Black Women in Business." [2]

She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. [18]

Honors and awards

Selected bibliography

Picture books

Narrative nonfiction

Chapter book series

Middle grade novels

Young adult

Baby books

Anthologies

[27] [28]

References

  1. ↑ "Coretta Scott King Book Awards | Awards & Grants". www.ala.org. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Simmons Names 2023 Commencement Speakers & Honorary Degree Recipients | Simmons University". www.simmons.edu. 2023-04-30. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  3. ↑ Tate, Don (2009-02-19). "Andrea Pinkney". The Brown Bookshelf. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  4. ↑ "TeachingBooks | Children's Africana Book Awards, 1992-2026". school.teachingbooks.net. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  5. ↑ Admin (November 30, 1999). "Past NCB Lists". Association for Library Service to Children (Alsc). Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Reviews+". School Library Journal. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  7. ↑ Staff, Times (2015-02-07). "NAACP Image Awards 2015: Full list of nominees and winners". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-10-27.
  8. ↑ Staff, compiled THR (2016-02-04). "NAACP Image Awards: The Complete Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2026-10-27.
  9. ↑ Washington, Aaron Couch,Arlene (2014-02-22). "NAACP Image Awards: The Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2026-10-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ Washington, Hilary Lewis,Arlene (2017-02-10). "2017 NAACP Image Award Winners: Complete List". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2026-10-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ Pinkney, Brian Pinkney, Phil Davis Jr , and Dobbin. "A Profile of Andrea Davis Pinkney". The Horn Book. Retrieved 2026-09-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ↑ "In-depth Written Interview | TeachingBooks". school.teachingbooks.net. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  13. ↑ Drasek, Lisa Von. "It's at the Kerlan: Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney – The Kerlan" . Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  14. ↑ "Children's Picture Books - Best Sellers - Books - March 14, 2010 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2026-10-27.
  15. ↑ Ella Fitzgerald. 2020-02-11. ISBN   978-0-7868-1416-9.
  16. ↑ "Best-selling Booklist". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2026-10-27.
  17. ↑ "Bright Brown Baby". shop.scholastic.com. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  18. ↑ "Andrea Davis Pinkney | Scholastic.com". Archived from the original on December 6, 2009. Retrieved April 10, 2008.
  19. ↑ "Carter G. Woodson Book Award and Honor Winners". National Council for the Social Studies. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  20. ↑ "Andrea Davis Pinkney, Bryan Collier win 2013 Coretta Scott King Book Awards". ALA. January 28, 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Arents Award Past Recipients". Syracuse University Alumni Association. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  22. ↑ "AUTHOR AND ACTIVIST FAITH RINGGOLD AND AUTHOR ANDREA PINKNEY RECEIVE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS AT CELEBRATION OF DIVERSITY RECEPTION AT MEDGAR EVERS COLLEGE". City University of New York. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  23. ↑ "All Books - Jane Addams Peace Association". 2020-08-26. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 "Andrea Davis Pinkney". Lyceum Agency. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  25. ↑ "Andrea Davis Pinkney is the 2022 Kerlan Award winner". University of Minnesota. 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  26. ↑ Kantor |, Emma. "2019 CBC Diversity Award Winners Announced". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  27. ↑ Davis Pinkney, Andrea. "All Books". Andrea Davis Pinkney. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  28. ↑ "Search: Andrea Davis Pinkney". Google Books .
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