Kevin Henkes

Last updated
Kevin Henkes
Kevin Henkes.jpg
Henkes at the Mazza Museum, 2011
Born (1960-11-27) November 27, 1960 (age 63)
Racine, Wisconsin, U.S.
OccupationIllustrator, writer
Alma mater University of Wisconsin–Madison
Period1981–present
Genre Children's picture books
Notable works
Notable awards Caldecott Medal
2005
Children's Literature Legacy Award
2020
Spouse
Laura Dronzek
(m. 1985)
[1]
Children2
Website
kevinhenkes.com

Kevin Henkes (born November 27, 1960) is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. [2] As an illustrator he won the Caldecott Medal for Kitten's First Full Moon (2004). Two of his books were Newbery Medal Honor Books, Olive's Ocean in 2004 and The Year of Billy Miller in 2014. [3] His picture book Waiting was named both a 2016 Caldecott Honor Book and a Geisel Honor Book. It was only the second time any author has won that combination of awards. [4] [2]

Contents

In 2020, he won the Children's Literature Legacy Award. [5]

Career

Kevin Henkes (pronounced HANK-us [6] ) thought he would be an artist until his junior year of high school when one of his teachers encouraged him in his writing efforts. He discovered that children's books combined both his literary and artistic interests. Henkes writes and illustrates children's picture books, many of which feature mice as their main characters. He also writes middle-grade fiction. Henkes wrote his first book during his freshman year in college. The book's theme deals with how a child describes the pleasures of occasional solitude. This theme is common in many of Henkes' later books. Henkes, one of five children, says that many of his storylines are inspired by his family and the neighborhood where he grew up in Racine, Wisconsin. Henkes has written and illustrated around fifty critically acclaimed and award-winning picture books, early readers, and novels in his career thus far. Henkes' first book, All Alone, was published in 1981 by Greenwillow Books. More than 50 books followed, including Chrysanthemum and Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse . In 1994 Henkes was a runner-up for one of the premier American Library Association (ALA) children's book awards, the Caldecott Medal for Owen, one of his mouse books. In 2004, he was a runner-up for the Newbery Medal for Olive's Ocean. The next year he won the Caldecott Medal for Kitten's First Full Moon, recognizing that as the year's best children's picture book published in the U.S. All of his books to date have been published by Greenwillow Books. Henkes won the inaugural Phoenix Picture Book Award in 2013 for Owen. The Phoenix Awards from the Children's Literature Association recognize the best books that did not win major awards when they were first published twenty years earlier. [7] [8] In 2014, he received a Newbery Honor for his book, The Year of Billy Miller. [9] In 2020 Henkes was awarded the ALA's Children's Literature Legacy Award, celebrating his entire body of work. [10] Henkes and his wife, Laura Dronzek, have been collaborating on a series of picture books based on the four seasons. Henkes writes the story, while Dronzek provides the acrylic painting illustrations. The next title expected is Winter is Here. [11]

Early and personal life

Henkes was born November 27, 1960, in Racine, Wisconsin. [2] He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. [12] He lives in Madison with his wife, artist Laura Dronzek, and their two children. [13]

Awards and honors

Henkes has won numerous awards for both his books and as an author. In 2007, Henkes delivered the Arbuthnot Honor Lecture, an honor bestowed upon "an individual of distinction in the field of children’s literature ... chosen to write and deliver a lecture that will make a significant contribution to the world of children’s literature." [14] In 2008, he won the Council for Wisconsin Writers' Major Achievement Award. [15] In 2009, he was a finalist for the Astrid Lindgren Prize [16] and won the Jeremiah Ludington Award, which honors "an individual who has made a significant contribution to the paperback book business." [17] Lastly, in 2020, he won the Children’s Literature Legacy Award honoring an author or illustrator, published in the United States, whose books have made a "significant and lasting contribution to literature for children." [5] In 1987, Library of Congress named Once Around the Block one of the Best Books of the Year. In 2017, the American Booksellers Association inducted Kitten's First Full Moon into their Picture Book Hall of Fame. [18] The Year of Billy Miller was a New York Times bestselling book. [19] Kirkus Reviews and The Horn Book Magazine named it one of the best books of 2013. [19] [20] Waiting was a New York Times bestselling book. [21] Kirkus Reviews and The Horn Book named it one of the best books of 2013. [21] [20] The Horn Book has included many of Henkes's other books on their lists of the best children's books of the year: Jessica (1989), Julius, the Baby of the World (1990), Chrysanthemum (1991), Words of Stone (1992), Owen (1993), Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse (1996), Olive’s Ocean (2003), A Good Day (2007), Old Bear (2008), Birds (2009), Penny and Her Doll (2012), Penny and Her Marble (2013), Waiting (2015), Egg (2017), A Parade of Elephants (2018), Penny and Her Sled (2019), Billy Miller Makes a Wish (2021), and Oh, Sal (2022). [20]

Awards for Henkes's books
YearTitleAwardResultRef.
1986Grandpa & BoCouncil of Wisconsin Writers Children’s Book AwardWinner [15]
1988The Zebra WallCouncil of Wisconsin Writers Children’s Book AwardWinner [15]
1991 Chrysanthemum Council of Wisconsin Writers Children’s Book AwardWinner [15]
1993OwenArcher-Eckblad Children’s Picture Book AwardWinner [15]
Words of StoneJudy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's LiteratureNominee
Elizabeth Burr / Worzalla AwardWinner
1994Owen Caldecott Medal Honor [22]
1996Protecting MarieElizabeth Burr / Worzalla AwardWinner
1997Lilly's Purple Plastic PurseAmerican Booksellers Book of the Year: Children'sWinner [23]
1999Circle Dogs Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly commended [24]
2003Owen's Marshmallow Chick Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly commended [24]
2004 Kitten's First Full Moon Betty Ren Wright Children’s Picture Book AwardHonorable Mention [15]
Olive's Ocean Newbery Medal Honor [25]
2005 Kitten's First Full Moon Caldecott Medal Winner [26]
Charlotte Zolotow Award Winner [24]
Midwest Booksellers' Choice Award for Children's Picture BookWinner [27]
2007A Good DayMidwest Booksellers' Choice AwardsWinner [28]
Lilly's Big Day Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly commended [24]
2008A Good Day Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly commended [24]
2009BirdsGreat Lakes Book AwardsFinalist [29]
Old Bear Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly commended [24]
Great Lakes Book AwardsFinalist [29]
2010Birds Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor [24]
My Garden Goodreads Choice Award for Picture BookNominee [30]
2011Little White Rabbit Goodreads Choice Award for Picture BookNominee [31]
My Garden Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly commended [24]
2012Jessica ALSC Notable Children's RecordingsSelection [32]
2014Penny and Her Marble Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor [33]
The Year of Billy Miller Elizabeth Burr / Worzalla AwardWinner
Newbery Medal Honor [25]
E. B. White Read Aloud Award Finalist [34]
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse ABA Picture Book Hall of FameFinalist [34]
2015Waiting Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture BooksNominee [35]
2016 ALSC Notable Children's BooksSelection [36] [37]
Caldecott Medal Honor [38] [39]
Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly commended [24]
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor [40]
2018Egg Eisner Award for Best Publication for Early Readers Finalist [41]
In the Middle of Fall Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly commended [24]
2019A Parade of Elephants ALSC Notable Children's BooksSelection [42]
Winter is Here Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly commended [24]
A Parade of Elephants ALSC Notable Children's BooksSelection [43]
2020Sun Flower Lion Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly commended [24]
2020 Children's Literature Legacy Award Winner [5]
2022Little Houses Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly commended [24]

Publications

Novels

Standalone books

  • Return to Sender (1984, ISBN   978-0-1403-8556-4)
  • Two Under Par (1987, ISBN   978-0-0607-5695-6)
  • The Zebra Wall (1988, ISBN   978-0-0607-3303-2)
  • Words of Stone (1992, ISBN   978-0-0607-8230-6)
  • Protecting Marie (1995, ISBN   978-0-1403-8320-1)
  • Sun & Spoon (1997, ISBN   978-0-6881-5232-1)
  • The Birthday Room (1999, ISBN   978-0-0644-3828-5)
  • Olive's Ocean (2003, ISBN   978-0-0605-3545-2)
  • Bird Lake Moon (2008, ISBN   978-0-0614-7076-9)
  • Junonia (2011, ISBN   978-0-0619-6417-6)
  • Sweeping up the Heart (2019, ISBN   978-0-0628-5254-0)
  • Oh, Sal (2022, ISBN   978-0-0632-4492-4)

Billy Miller books

The Billy Miller books are published by Greenwillow Books.

Picture books

Standalone books

Mouse books

The Mouse books are published by Greenwillow Books.

Penny books

The Penny books are published by Greenwillow Books.

Notes

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