Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award
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I, Too, Am America
by
Langston Hughes
Presents the popular poem by one of the central figures in the Harlem Renaissance, highlighting the courage and dignity of the African American Pullman porters in the early twentieth century.
Ellen's Broom
by
Kelly Starling Lyons
Ellen has always known that the broom hanging on her family's cabin wall is a special symbol of her parents' wedding during slave days, so she proudly carries it to the courthouse when the marriage becomes legal.
H. O. R. S. E.
by
Christopher Myers
One day at the basketball court, two kids, a familiar challenge--H.O.R.S.E.' But this isn't your grandmother's game of hoops. Not when a layup from the other side of the court standing on one foot with your eyes closed is just the warm-up. Around the neighborhood, around the world, off Saturn's rings, the pair goes back and forth. The game is as much about skill as it is about imagination. A slam dunk from multi-award-winning author/illustrator Christopher Myers, H.O.R.S.E. is a celebration of the sport of basketball, the art of trash-talking, and the idea that what's possible is bounded only by what you can dream.
I Have a Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr.
by
Martin Luther King
From Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s daughter, Dr. Bernice A. King: "My father's dream continues to live on from generation to generation, and this beautiful and powerful illustrated edition of his world-changing "I Have a Dream" speech brings his inspiring message of freedom, equality, and peace to the youngest among us--those who will one day carry his dream forward for everyone." On August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington, Martin Luther King gave one of the most powerful and memorable speeches in our nation's history. His words, paired with Caldecott Honor winner Kadir Nelson's magificent paintings, make for a picture book certain to be treasured by children and adults alike. The themes of equality and freedom for all are not only relevant today, 50 years later, but also provide young readers with an important introduction to our nation's past.
Underground : Finding the Light to Freedom
by
Shane W. Evans
"A stellar introduction to the Underground Railroad, narrated by a group of slaves. Readers experience the fugitives' escape, their long nighttime journey punctuated by meetings with friends and enemies, and their final glorious arrival in a place of freedom."--Amazon.com.
Dave the Potter
by
Laban Carrick Hill
The life of an astonishingly prolific and skilled potter who lived and died a slave in 19th-century South Carolina is related in simple, powerful sentences that outline the making of a pot.
Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow
by
Gary Golio
This a story of a talented child who learns to see, hear, and interpret the world around him in his own unique way. It is also a story of a determined kid with a vision, who worked hard to become a devoted and masterful artist. Jimi Hendrix--a groundbreaking performer whose music shook the very foundations of rock 'n' roll.
My People
by
Langston Hughes
Hughes's spare yet eloquent tribute to his people has been cherished for generations. Now, acclaimed photographer Smith interprets this beloved poem in vivid sepia photographs that capture the glory, the beauty, and the soul of being a black American today.
The Moon Over Star
by
Dianna Hutts Aston
On her family's farm in the town of Star, eight-year-old Mae eagerly follows the progress of the 1969 Apollo 11 flight and moon landing and dreams that she might one day be an astronaut, too.
We Are the Ship : The Story of Negro League Baseball
by
Kadir Nelson
Using an "Everyman" player as his narrator, Kadir Nelson tells the story of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through the decline after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947. Illustrations from oil paintings by artist Kadir Nelson.
Jazz on a Saturday Night
by
Leo Dillon
Celebrated illustrators Leo and Diane Dillon have won the Caldecott Medal twice, and now they present stunning illustrations of an evening of jazz music, complete with a special CD. If you have ever been lucky enough to hear great jazz, then you will understand the pure magic of this book. Leo and Diane Dillon use bright colors and musical patterns that make music skip off the page in this toe-tapping homage to many jazz greats. From Miles Davis and Charlie Parker to Ella Fitzgerald, here is a dream team sure to knock your socks off. Learn about this popular music form and read a biography of each player pictured-and then hear each instrument play on a specially produced CD. What's the featured song? "Jazz on a Saturday Night," written and recorded to accompany this book.
The Secret Olivia Told Me
by
N. Joy
Can you keep a secret? Olivia has a BIG secret. It's a secret that she tells only to her very best friend. And her friend promises she won't say a word. But the secret is really BIG and JIUCY. What happens when a trusted friend slips and the secret gets out? Can you keep a secret? In the Secret Olivia Told Me, find out what happens when Olivia's friend can't.
Poetry for Young People : Langston Hughes
by
David Roessel
A fresh design and appealing new cover enliven this award-winning collection in the acclaimed Poetry for Young People series. Showcasing the extraordinary Langston Hughes, it's edited by two leading poetry experts and features gallery-quality art by Benny Andrews that adds rich dimension to the words. Hughes's magnificent, powerful words still resonate today, and the anthologized poems in this splendid volume include his best-loved works: "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"; "My People"; "Words Like Freedom"; "Harlem"; and "I, Too"--his sharp, pointed response to Walt Whitman's "I Hear America Singing."
Rosa
by
Nikki Giovanni
The story of Rosa Parks and her courageous act of defiance. Provides the story of the young black woman who refused to give up her seat to a white passenger in Alabama, setting in motion all the events of the Civil Rights Movements that resulted in the end of the segregated south, gave equality to blacks throughout the nation, and forever changed the country in which we all live today....
Ellington Was Not a Street
by
Ntozake Shange
In a reflective tribute to the African-American community of old, noted poet Ntozake Shange recalls her childhood home and the close-knit group of innovators that often gathered there. These men of vision, brought to life in the majestic paintings of artist Kadir Nelson, lived at a time when the color of their skin dictated where they could live, what schools they could attend, and even where they could sit on a bus or in a movie theater. Yet in the face of this tremendous adversity, these dedicated souls and others like them not only demonstrated the importance of Black culture in America, but also helped issue in a movement that "changed the world." Their lives and their works inspire us to this day, and serve as a guide to how we approach the challenges of tomorrow.
Beautiful Blackbird
by
Ashley Bryan
In a story of the Ila people, the colorful birds of Africa ask Blackbird, whom they think is the most beautiful of birds, to decorate them with some of his "blackening brew."
Thunder Rose
by
Jerdine Nolen
Unusual from the day she is born, Thunder Rose performs all sorts of amazing feats, including building fences, taming a stampeding herd of steers, capturing a gang of rustlers, and turning aside a tornado.
Talkin' About Bessie : The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman
by
Nikki Grimes
Soar along with Bessie Coleman in this inspirational tale of a woman whose determination reached new heights. Elizabeth "Bessie" Coleman was always being told what she could & couldn't do. In an era when Jim Crow laws and segregation were a way of life, it was not easy to survive. Bessie didn't let that stop her. Although she was only 11 when the Wright brothers took their historic flight, she vowed to become the first African -American female pilot. Her sturdy faith and determination helped her overcome obstacles of poverty, racism, and gender discrimination. Innovatively told through a series of monologues.
Goin' Someplace Special
by
Patricia C. McKissack
In segregated 1950s Nashville, a young African American girl braves a series of indignities and obstacles to get to one of the few integrated places in town: the public library.
Uptown
by
Bryan Collier
A tour of the sights of Harlem, including the Metro-North Train, brownstones, shopping on 125th Street, a barber shop, summer basketball, the Boy's Choir, and sunset over the Harlem River.
Freedom River
by
Doreen Rappaport
Describes an incident in the life of John Parker, an ex-slave who became a successful businessman in Ripley, Ohio, and who repeatedly risked his life to help other slaves escape to freedom.
Only Passing Through : The Story of Sojourner Truth
by
Anne Rockwell
A powerful picture book biography of one of the abolitionist movement's most compelling voices. Sojourner Truth traveled the country in the latter half of the 19th century, speaking out against slavery. She told of a slave girl who was sold three times by age 13, who was beaten for not understanding her master's orders, who watched her parents die of cold and hunger when they could no longer work for their keep. Sojourner's simple yet powerful words helped people to understand the hideous truth about slavery. The story she told was her own. Only Passing Through is the inspiring story of how a woman, born a slave with no status or dignity, transformed herself into one of the most powerful voices of the abolitionist movement. Anne Rockwell combines her lifelong love of history with her well-known skill as a storyteller to create this simple, affecting portrait of an American icon.
In the Time of the Drums
by
Kim L. Siegelson
Mentu, an American-born slave boy, watches his beloved grandmother, Twi, lead the insurrection at Teakettle Creek of Ibo people arriving from Africa on a slave ship.
My Rows and Piles of Coins
by
Tololwa M. Mollel
A Tanzanian boy saves his coins to buy a bicycle so that he can help his parents carry goods to market, but then he discovers that in spite of all he has saved, he still does not have enough money.
The Bat Boy and His Violin
by
Gavin Curtis
Reginald loves to create beautiful music on his violin. But Papa, manager of the Dukes, the worst team in the Negro National League, needs a bat boy, not a "fiddler," and traveling with the Dukes doesn't leave Reginald much time for practicing. Soon the Dukes' dugout is filled with Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach -- and the bleachers are filled with the sound of the Dukes' bats. Has Reginald's violin changed the Dukes' luck -- and can his music pull off a miracle victory against the powerful Monarchs? Gavin Curtis's beautifully told story of family ties and team spirit and E. B. Lewis's lush watercolor paintings capture a very special period in history.
In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall : African Americans Celebrating Fathers
by
Alan Schroeder
Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe. An innovative, stunningly illustrated picture book that celebrates the role of fathers in black families. Includes contributions from 12 poets. Illustrated in full colour throughout. Suitable for all ages. Winner of the Coretta Scott King Book Illustrator Award. 'This stunning homage to fathers offers a textured potpourri of voices and visuals' - Publishers Weekly 'This innovative, stunningly illustrated picture book' - School Library Journal
Ashley Bryan's ABC of African American Poetry
by
Ashley Bryan
"And God stepped out on space, And he looked around and said: I'm lonely -- I'll make me a world." -- James Weldon Johnson Thus begins Coretta Scott King Award-winner Ashley Bryan's collection of inspiring excerpts of poems by celebrated African American poets. Beautifully illustrated with his own tempera and gouache paintings, Ashley Bryan's unique alphabet book will delight readers of any age.
Neeny Coming, Neeny Going
by
Karen English
Essie eagerly awaits the visit of her cousin but feels disheartened after her arrival because Neeny is no longer interested in life on the island from which she moved.
Running the Road to ABC
by
Denize Lauture
Six island children are running at daybreak -- over the hills, through the fields, across the city square -- to school! Never before has the love of learning (and learning together ) been such a joyous time. Denise Lauture's buoyant, poetic text captures the happiness and youth of energetic children on the way to school; Reynold Ruffins perfectly illustrates the rich beauty of Haiti with the bright-colored vibrance of Haitian folk art. A great read-aloud book for the classroom.
The Middle Passage : White Ships / Black Cargo
by
Tom Feelings
The Middle Passage is the name given to one of the most tragic ordeals in history: the cruel and terrifying journey of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean. In this seminal work, master artist Tom Feelings tells the complete story of this horrific diaspora in sixty-four extraordinary narrative paintings. Achingly real, they draw us into the lives of the millions of African men, women, and children who were savagely torn from their beautiful homelands, crowded into disease-ridden "death ships", and transported under nightmarish conditions to the so-called New World. An introduction by noted historian Dr. John Henrik Clarke traces the roots of the Atlantic slave trade and gives a vivid summary of its four centuries of brutality. The Middle Passage reaches us on a visceral level. No one can experience it and remain unmoved. But while we absorb the horror of these images, we also can find some hope in them. They are a tribute to the survival of the human spirit, and the humanity won by the survivors of the Middle Passage belongs to us all.
Her Stories
by
Virginia Hamilton
In the tradition of Hamilton's The People Could Fly and In the Beginning, a dramatic new collection of 25 compelling tales from the female African American storytelling tradition. Each story focuses on the role of women--both real and fantastic--and their particular strengths, joys and sorrows. Full-color illustrations.
Meet Danitra Brown
by
Nikki Grimes
This spirited collection of poems introduces young readers to Danitra Brown, the most splendiferous girl in town, and her best friend, Zuri Jackson. "The poignant text and lovely pictures are an excellent collaboration, resulting in a look at touching moments of universal appeal."--School Library Journal.
The Singing Man
by
Angela Shelf Medearis
A couples youngest son is forced to leave his west African village because he chooses music over the more practical occupations of his brothers, but years later he returns to show the wisdom of his choice.
Soul Looks Back in Wonder
by
Tom Feelings
In this compelling collection of words and pictures, the voices of thirteen major poets, including Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, and Walter Dean Myers, rise in response to the dazzling vistas and emotionally vivid portraits of award-winning artist Tom Feelings. A unique and moving collaboration that celebrates the sustaining spirit of African creativity.
Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea
by
Joyce Carol Thomas
'A cycle of a dozen lyrical poems exploring issues of African-American identity through delicately interwoven images. . . . Laden with meaning, the poetry is significant and lovely. Cooper's paintings, with vibrant, unsentimentalized characters in earth tone illumined with gold, are warm, contemplative'a beautiful complement to Thomas's eloquence. A must.' 'K. 'Poems rooted in home, family, and the African-American experience.... Highly readable and attractive.' 'BL.
Little Eight John
by
Jan Wahl
Little Eight John, as mean as mean there was, persists in disobeying his mother until he finds his mischief backfiring on him.
Working Cotton
by
Sherley Anne Williams
This child's view of the long day's work in the cotton fields, simply expressed in a poet's resonant language, is a fresh and stirring look at migrant family life.
Tar Beach
by
Faith Ringgold
A young girl dreams of flying above her Harlem home, claiming all she sees for herself and her family. Based on the author's quilt painting of the same name.
Aida
by
Leontyne Price
With depth and understanding, acclaimed diva Leontyne Price retells this famous opera about the beautiful princess of Ethiopia.
Nathaniel Talking
by
Eloise Greenfield
Beautifully composed in a variety of styles--rap, blues, and free verse--these 18 poems offers a black child's insights into his own heart and mind, and into the lives of family and friends. Nine-year-old Nathaniel reflects on what it's like to be curious, smart, and full of ideas.
Storm in the Night
by
Mary Stolz
While sitting through a fearsome thunderstorm that has put the lights out, Thomas hears a story from Grandfather's boyhood, when Grandfather was afraid of thunderstorms.
Under the Sunday Tree
by
Eloise Greenfield
Too special for just once-a-week reading, Eloise Greenfield's 20 exuberant poems are matched by the bright colors of Mr. Amos Ferguson's life-filled paintings. His native Caribbean glows as vividly in the words as in the full-page primitive pictures. . . . A perfect collaboration between two master imagemakers." 'SLJ. 1988 Coretta Scott King Award Honor Book for Illustration Notable Children's Books of 1988 (ALA) Children's Books of 1989 (Library of Congress)
What a Morning! The Christmas Story in Black Spirituals
by
John Langstaff
In this picture book, the Christmas story is told in spirituals: "Mary Had a Baby," "My Lord, What a Morning!" and "Go Tell It on the Mountain" among them, until the baby is born, and "Behold That Star!" closes the tale. Bryan's illustrations tie into the African-American theme, showing a black Holy family and multiracial wise men and shepherds. Bold brush strokes line each landscape and every garment; the star of Bethlehem, through the religious prism, reveals colors of rainbow hues. This collection of songs exhibits an intimacy and compassion that give these spirituals a stunning universality.
C.L.O.U.D.S.
by
Pat Cummings
Chuku the angel is given the job of painting the skies of New York City, an assignment he approaches with reluctance, but grows to love.
Lion and the Ostrich Chicks and Other African Folk Tales
by
Ashley Bryan
"In the splendid format of his two previous collections, Ashley Brian presents four stories representing various cultures of Africa, while his dynamic, somewhat stylized . . . illustrations add not only decorative designs but a handsome choreography of animated creatures".--The Horn Book. A Coretta Scott King Honor Book.
The Patchwork Quilt
by
Valerie Flournoy
Using scraps cut from the family's old clothing, Tanya helps her grandmother and mother make a beautiful quilt that tells the story of her family's life.
Black Child
by
Peter Magubane
The sad, harsh realities of life in south Africa are sensitively revealed in photographs of children's faces.
Just Us Women
by
Jeanette Caines
A trip to North Carolina in her Aunt Martha's new car gives a young girl and her aunt a chance to spend some time together.
Daydreamers
by
Eloise Greenfield
Poetry and portraits of young black children reveal all the beauty in children's wishes, yearnings, and memories.
Grandmama's Joy
by
Eloise Greenfield
When Rhondy can't seem to cheer Grandmama up with a song, a dance, or a gift from the backyard, she tries the one thing she's sure will work. Rhondy reminds Grandmama what she said about her when they first came to livetogether: "That's my joy, that's Grandmama's joy. Long as I got my joy, I'll be all right."
Cornrows
by
Camille Yarborough
When Mama and Great-Grammaw weave the striking cornrow patterns of Africa into their children's hair, their gentle voices also weave a tale full of pride and heritage.
Africa Dream
by
Eloise Greenfield
An African-American child dreams of long-ago Africa, where she sees animals, shops in a marketplace, reads strange words from an old book, and returns to the village where her long-ago granddaddy welcomes her.
Ray Charles
by
Sharon Bell Mathis
As a young boy he fell in love with music, and as a man, the world fell in love with his music. Ray Charles and his soulful, passionate rhythms and melodies have been embraced around the world for decades. Now, in this beautiful new edition of an award-winning biography, readers can follow Charles from his boyhood, when he lost his sight and learned to read and write music in Braille, until the age of 40, when he had become a world-renowned jazz and blues musician packing auditoriums and stadiums.
Updated 01/30/2013
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