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Two new picture books explore how the outside world can transform our relationships with our communities and ourselves. First, Kiese Laymon is out with a children's book about three Black boys who connect during a transformative summer in the South. With City Summer, Country Summer, Laymon says he wanted to explore the experience of getting lost as a kind of experimentation. In today's episode, the author speaks with NPR's Michel Martin about his wish to write a book about the emotional tenderness of Black boys. Then, The Littlest Drop is Sascha Alper's debut children's book, based on a parable from the indigenous Quechua people of South America. Brian Pinkney took over illustrations for the project after his father, Jerry Pinkney, died in 2020. In today's episode, NPR's Ayesha Rascoe brings Alper and Brian Pinkney together in conversation. The author and illustrator discuss the collaboration between father and son and Alper's desire to broaden the story beyond the climate crisis.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
The Nightingale is the story of a plain little bird whose beautiful songs bring her great fame, even winning her an esteemed place in the king's court. Eventually, however, after saving the life of the king, the modest nightingale chooses to return to her peaceful life in the forest. Although the original tale is set in China, Jerry Pinkney decided to add a unique twist to his own adaptation by moving the setting to Morocco-and the resulting artwork is spectacular. The lush, elaborate watercolor illustrations feature the diverse peoples, rich costumes, and amazing architecture of Northwest Africa, making this version of The Nightingale a true picture book original!
Grace and Alvina continue their "publishing curriculum" series and welcome special guest Saho Fujii, Executive Art Director, to talk about the picture book editing and revision process. They talk about how picture book illustrators are chosen, Saho shares what she looks for when she reviews sketches, and also shares about her special connection to the late Jerry Pinkney. For the Fortune Cookies segment, they talk about whether they're heavy or light sleepers, and talk about dreams! See complete show notes at www.bookfriendsforever.com. Click here to become a Patreon member: www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1. See info about Grace Lin's books here: gracelin.com. Follow us in Instagram: www.instagram.com/bookfriendsforever_podcast/ Find Saho Fujii at sahofujii.squarespace.com/
In this Podcast Replay, we are joined by James Ransome, the iconic illustrator of classics like Before She Was Harriet (written by Lesa Cline-Ransome), Uncle Jed's Barbershop, Visiting Day, and so many more incomparable titles. James never does the same thing twice, and in our expansive and focused conversation, we discussed ways of seeing, color and quilts, his mentorship with the great Jerry Pinkney, and how his love of Parliament Funkadelic keeps him experimenting.Follow James on Instagram: jransomillustrFollow James on Facebook: James Ransome IllustrationJames's Website: https://jamesransome.comSupport the show
This week I'm honored to have on the award winning, renowned team behind the new picture book, A Walk in the Woods, Nikki Grimes and Brian Pinkney. Brian finished the artwork for the book that was started by his late father, the legendary Jerry Pinkney. Nikki and Jerry share the mystical and magical experience of collaborating on this project, a moving account of loss, in which a boy takes a walk in the woods and makes a discovery that changes his understanding of his father.
Betsy's a child of the Generation X movement and, as such, at some point in her early education, the song "Gonna Die With a Hammer in My Hand", adapted by the folksingers of the 60s, was something she was well and truly familiar with. That said, at no point in her childhood did she ever encounter a single picture book retelling of the legend of John Henry. And though he's one of the great American Tall Tale characters, Kate hadn't even heard of him! This will not stand. So in response to the recent Bookriot piece The 20 Most Influential Picture Books of All Time, we're tackling one of their inclusions. Now we've done many Jerry Pinkney books on our podcast already. We've done Mirandy and Brother Wind, Little Red Riding Hood, and the previous Pinkney/Lester collaboration Sam and the Tigers. Now we're tackling our first tall tale by the duo, and the one that earned at least a Caldecott Honor (though it was beaten by Smoky Night, which has NOT aged particularly well, we must say). For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2023/08/28/fuse-8-n-kate-john-henry-by-julius-lester-ill-jerry-pinkney/
Giuseppe Castellano talks to New York Times best-selling and two-time Caldecott Honor award-winning illustrator, Brian Pinkney about what it was like growing up—and creating art—with his father, Jerry Pinkney; why illustrators don't have to be just one thing, or make pictures in just one way; and more.
Jerry Pinkney is one of the most celebrated children's book illustrators of all time. Having illustrated more than 100 books, Jerry won numerous awards including multiple Caldecott medals and Corretta Scott King Illustrator Awards and Honors before his passing. Gloria Pinkney, Jerry's wife, creative partner, and best friend for more than 60 years, joins us to talk about Jerry's life, talent, and his relentless drive to show young readers and those with learning disabilities how he became an artist—against the odds.
Sukey's new step-pa is a mean, bossy man. Every day Sukey wakes at dawn to work in the garden. All her step-pa ever does is watch her and yell if she so much as stops to fan herself. Sukey's ma calls him Mister Jones. Sukey prefers the name Mister Hard-Times. One day, Sukey runs away to her secret place by the ocean. There, she calls up Mama Jo, a beautiful black mermaid. Mama Jo's got a surprise for Sukey; a magical kingdom beneath the sea without time or pain. But it's also without people. Is it really better than the world above? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/avant-garde-books/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/avant-garde-books/support
On the season's final episode, we are joined by James Ransome, the iconic illustrator of classics like Before She Was Harriet (written by Lesa Cline-Ransome), Uncle Jed's Barbershop, Visiting Day, and so many more incomparable titles. James never does the same thing twice, and in our expansive and focused conversation, we discussed ways of seeing, color and quilts, his mentorship with the great Jerry Pinkney, and how his love of Parliament Funkadelic keeps him experimenting.Follow James on Instagram: jransomillustrFollow James on Facebook: James Ransome IllustrationJames's Website: https://jamesransome.comFollow SCBWI on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scbwi/Follow SCBWI on Twitter: https://twitter.com/scbwiFollow SCBWI on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@therealscbwiJoin SCBWI: https://www.scbwi.org/join-scbwi/Support the show
Through moving prose and beautiful watercolors, a Coretta Scott King Award and Caldecott Medal–winning author-illustrator duo collaborate to tell the poignant tale of a spirited young girl who comes face to face with segregation in her southern town. There's a place in this 1950s southern town where all are welcome, no matter what their skin color…and 'Tricia Ann knows exactly how to get there. To her, it's someplace special and she's bursting to go by herself. But when she catches the bus heading downtown, unlike the white passengers, she must sit in the back behind the Jim Crow sign and wonder why life's so unfair. Still, for each hurtful sign seen and painful comment heard, there's a friend around the corner reminding 'Tricia Ann that she's not alone. And her grandmother's words—“You are somebody, a human being—no better, no worse than anybody else in this world”—echo in her head, lifting her spirits and pushing her forward. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/avant-garde-books/support
Welcome, listener, to this, our longest ever episode! EDITORS NOTE: the original version of this episode had a big editing mistake in it, which had Matt saying "able-bodied people can't write disabled characters" when what they actually said was "I don't think able-bodied people can't write disabled characters". A pretty big mistake since it reverses the meaning! The currently available episode has been corrected. Apologies to Matt for making them say the opposite of what they mean. First we talked about Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid. For more biographical info on him, we recommend Amanda LeDuc's excellent book Disfigured, Rictor Norton's My Dear Boy: Gay Love Letters Through the Centuries, which you can read here. Also see this article on Bookriot. We went on to talk about the ways Jerry Pinkney adapted the story. Here's a lovely obit of him from Jason Reynolds in Time, and here he is doing an author event over lockdown and talking about The Little Mermaid, and his process. Our chapter book is The Secret of Haven Point by Lisette Auton. Mermaids with pointy teeth who make appointments by leaving still-bleeding shark teeth on your pillow! Lisette can be found @lisette_auton on twitter and her website is https://lisetteauton.co.uk/ If you're interested in doing a virtual author visit with Lisette for your school, she's doing one in conjunction with 7 Stories in April. What A Wonderful Day is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com
This week, enjoy Episode Fourteen with Your Favorite Librarian as she continues the conversation about "Measure of Authenticity. This episode is broken into two portions for readers to properly examine and are, also, paired with great titles to support any reader's discovery. Scars are Beautiful: Unresolved Trauma and Reclaiming Black BeautyHealing Legacies of Trauma and Abuse in the Queer Community Masculine of Centre, Seeking Her Refined Femme Just Not Beautiful Enough... balance, attention, care, effort and specialness Provided Examples of Great Black Illustrators: Ashley Evans, Floyd Cooepr, Vanessa Brantley-Newton, Frank Morrison, Vashti Harrison, Jerry Pinkney, Ashley Evans, Nina Crews, AG Evans, Ebony Glenn and Kadir Nelson to name a few. Community Organizing or Organized: Natural Position of Allyship Authentic voices and contributions of the Black Experience Black Freedom Under a White Gaze Depictions of Beauty and Identity reflect command standards and measure of cultural excellenceHealth and wellness for all representations of BlacknessBlack Skin and the environment Go Pro or Stay Home... Affordability, Accessibility and Type of Skin Care Providers Defining common and specific skin conditions Check out this week's reading suggestion and check out favoritelibrarian.com"Feminist Weed Farmer:Growing Mindful Medicine in Your Own Back Yard" by Madrone Stewart "Black Skin: The Definitive Skincare Guide" by Dija Ayodele Support the show (https://paypal.me/forrestnogump)
Every year, our Read-Aloud Revival Team watches the American Library Association Youth Media Awards together. These are the official awards of ALA. Some you'll recognize, like the Caldecott, the Newbery and the Coretta Scott King Awards. But others are not quite as well known ... The ALA Youth Media Awards honor books that have been published in the previous year, so this year's awards ceremony in January 2022 was honoring books that had been published in the year 2021 only. For this episode the RAR team gathered together to talk about the announcements that made us cheer, the familiar faces that we loved seeing win, and ... ...just a few books that we think should have gotten some ALA love.
In this episode, author Andrea Davis Pinkney and her husband, illustrator Brian Pinkney, join host Suzanne McCabe to talk about their new picture book: Bright Brown Baby: A Treasury. Andrea and Brian have created dozens of acclaimed books for children, including Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America, Martin Rising: Requiem for a King, and illustrated biographies of Alvin Ailey, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald. Andrea, who is an executive editor and vice president at Scholastic, wrote the libretto for an operatic adaptation of Ezra Jack Keats's 1962 classic, The Snowy Day, which had its world premiere at the Houston Grand Opera in December 2021. In the episode, Andrea and Brian talk about their creative process, trends in children's literature, and the recent loss of Brian's father, Jerry Pinkney, an award-winning illustrator of more than 100 books for children. Resources: Books by Andrea Davis Pinkney (https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/teaching-tools/articles/authors/andrea-davis-pinkney.html): See more titles by the Coretta Scott King award-winning author. The Art of Brian Pinkney (https://www.writershouseart.com/brian-pinkney/): See more of Brian's illustrations. Share Black Stories (https://www.scholastic.com/parents/books-and-reading/raise-a-reader-blog/share-black-stories-books.html): Scholastic has curated titles ranging from picture books to young adult novels that center around Black lives and Black joy. Remembering Jerry Pinkney (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/21/books/jerry-pinkney-dead.html): The New York Times calls the late children's book illustrator “one of the most revered artists in the genre.” Special Thanks: Producer: Bridget Benjamin Associate producer: Constance Gibbs Sound engineer: Daniel Jordan Music composer: Lucas Elliot Eberl Coming Soon: Celebrating Women's History Month with Bisa Butler and Gholdy Muhammad
After his recent death, Betsy wanted to do a book with Kate that paid homage to Jerry Pinkney. But having already done Mirandy and Brother Wind and Sam and the Tigers, why not go in a different direction? Jerry was a huge fan of fairy tales, and Little Red Riding Hood has always stood out as one of his more interesting books. Setting the book in winter was a fascinating choice, maybe even a challenge, for the artist. The storyline is very faithful to the original Grimm tale with some notable changes. This book is peak Pinkney. But is it classic enough in the end? Only one way to find out. Show Notes: Betsy mentions in the course of the show that a big influence on Jerry was cartoonist John J. Liney, who worked on the "Little Henry" comic strips. William H. Foster, author of the book Looking for a Face Like Mine: The History of African Americans in Comics offers this piece Henry: Not Black Like Me to argue that the strip was less racist than its contemporaries. Not sure if the examples he cites completely back up that statement, but it's an interesting article: https://www.hoganmag.com/blog/henry-not-black-like-me For the full Show Notes please visit: https://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2021/11/22/fuse-8-n-kate-little-red-riding-hood-by-jerry-pinkney/
Children's book illustrator Jerry Pinkney, who died on Oct. 20 at the age of 81, was a cultural touchstone. Whether he was illustrating tales about Reverend Martin Luther King or Black cowboys, I don't know if anyone has accomplished bringing Black history and culture—and Black beauty—to life through illustrations with the consistency and vigor that Pinkney did, and for as long he did. He produced more than 100 books over a nearly six decade-long career.
Theo Baker talks with the legend, mentor, master illustrator, dear friend, and paragon of grace and kindness, Jerry Pinkney. They discuss his childhood, his start in publishing, his works, and his love of animals. It's an open invitation into the mind and life of one of the industry's finest and most exemplary figures. We will miss Jerry very much. Support the show (http://scbwi.org/join-scbwi/)
In this episode, Nicole and Tori feature some fiction and nonfiction reads that are receiving some well-deserved buzz! For read and recommended picks, both the co-hosts dug up some reads from the past that had an impact on their thinking and their hearts. The resources talked about in this episode are listed below: The Stand tv show; On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King; Steel Magnolias movie; Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour; Behind the Scenes by Christina C. Jones; I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James; Crown: Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James; Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi; Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi; How Stella Got Her Groove Back by Terry McMillan; I Almost Forgot About You by Terry McMillan; The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae; Insecure tv show; John Henry by Julius Lester, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney; The Block: Poems by Langston Hughes, collage by Romare Bearden
Created by Katherine and two of her daughters—and illustrated by Charlene Pinkney Barlow (granddaughter of another legend, award winning artist Jerry Pinkney), this rich picture book dives into the details of the mathematician’s early life, her unprecedented achievements, and her drive to break down gender and racial barriers so that her daughters—and millions of other young women—could reach for the stars as she did. It also creates a rich opportunity for conversation about resilience and perseverance, and about what it takes to follow dreams, regardless of the obstacles and naysayers that may arise. With its evocative family album-style format and novel approach to storytelling, One Step Further is sure to inspire the next generation of young women across the globe; ultimately driving home the message that no star is too far.
Created by Katherine and two of her daughters—and illustrated by Charlene Pinkney Barlow (granddaughter of another legend, award winning artist Jerry Pinkney), this rich picture book dives into the details of the mathematician’s early life, her unprecedented achievements, and her drive to break down gender and racial barriers so that her daughters—and millions of other young women—could reach for the stars as she did. It also creates a rich opportunity for conversation about resilience and perseverance, and about what it takes to follow dreams, regardless of the obstacles and naysayers that may arise. With its evocative family album-style format and novel approach to storytelling, One Step Further is sure to inspire the next generation of young women across the globe; ultimately driving home the message that no star is too far.
Jerry Pinkney has been illustrating children's books since 1964, illustrating over one hundred titles. His books have been translated into sixteen languages and published in fourteen countries. In addition to his work in children's books, Jerry has had over thirty, one-man exhibitions. His works have also been featured in The New York Times, American Artist Magazine, The Horn Book Magazine, the CBS “Sunday Morning Show,” and on PBS's “Reading Rainbow.” Jerry has illustrated for a wide variety of clients, including the US Postal Service, National Parks Service, and National Geographic Magazine.
This episode of Diving Board launches a new direction for the podcast, revisiting conversations about art, race, and social justice with Ursula Rucker, Jerry Pinkney, Suzanne Burgess, James Morton, Syd Carpenter, and Karen Warrington. The new series is called Diving Board 2020 and we will be asking those speakers we have already heard from, "what has changed and what is different? How do we move forward together? And, "What is the role of an art museum?" We will also be engaging with new voices.
"I'm giving myself extra points for doing this springy book in spring . . . which I did not realize until this moment. Patting on the backy of me!" Prior to today's episode the only Jerry Pinkney title Betsy and Kate had done on the podcast was Sam and the Tigers (as part of their Little Black Sambo round-up). As for Ms. Patricia McKissack, they'd never even done a single one of her books to date. Consider this a wrong now righted. This episode taught us about how folks change picture books to make them readable as ebooks. As for the plot of the story, no one ever talks about the book's traumatized chickens or the fact that you never get to see the cake Mirandy wins. Get ready for an extra deep dive into a book that is still a favorite of teachers nationwide. Show Notes: Initially the cakewalk was created to mock white slaveholders to their faces. They would judge the first cakewalks and have no idea the slaves were mocking them. There's an interesting article about it here at Face2Face Africa: https://face2faceafrica.com/article/how-the-popular-cakewalk-dance-was-actually-a-mockery-of-white-slave-masters-in-the-1800s Want to play Scattergories with your own distant family for a virtual game night? Here is the site Kate found. We can attest that we tried this after we recorded this podcast and it worked very well! https://swellgarfo.com/scattergories/ If you would like to read our mother's poem Geomagnetic Reversal and My Mother’s Ethnoid Bone you'll locate it as the fourth link on this page. https://www.escapeintolife.com/poetry/mothers-day-2020-mothers-moleskine/ For the complete show notes please visit: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2020/05/11/fuse-8-n-kate-mirandy-and-brother-wind-by-patricia-mckissack-and-jerry-pinkney/
Called by the Chicago Tribune, “An earthy, red-headed yarn-spinning woman,” Crescent Dragonwagon is the much-published author of fifty books in five genres, numerous magazine articles, and two blogs. Presently, at 6:00 p.m. CST on Facebook Live, Crescent reads aloud each evening with tech/text support by Mark Graff. Selections are books she's written and ones written by her mother, Charlotte Zolotowoffers. You can find her delicious recipies (like the lentil soup mentioned in the podcast) on her blog as well as in her cookbooks. Crescent is the developer and leader of the Fearless WritingTM family of on- and off-line workshops and courses, which have helped hundreds of writers write (and in many cases publish) with greater ease, more authenticity of voice, and less angst. One of her best-known students was the late Julia Child, who took Fearless when she was over 80, preparatory to beginning her memoir, My Life in France. “I loved (Fearless), ” Julia wrote. “And I recommend it often and enthusiastically, to both established and aspiring writers; indeed, to anyone in search of a rejuvenating new way of looking at and understanding life. ” Born in New York, Crescent spent the majority of her life in the South, in the Ozark Mountain resort town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. There, for eighteen years, she ran an acclaimed country inn and restaurant called Dairy Hollow House with her late husband, the writer/historic preservationist Ned Shank. “You don’t have to believe in reincarnation to believe in reincarnation,” she has sometimes said, “Just live long enough.” Some of her lifetimes in the one life she’s living actually include growing up in a literary family, the daughter of show-business biographer Maurice Zolotow and children’s book writer/editor Charlotte Zolotow (she now serves as literary executor to both her parents... writing eight culinary-memoirs, including the James Beard Award-winning Passionate Vegetarian, Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread Cookbook, The Cornbread Gospels and Bean by Bean (click here to hear an NPR interview on the latter, in On Point with Tom Ashbrook) …which (along with her life as a chef/innkeeper/restaurateur) led to the distinction of having prepared beans and cornbread for a U.S. President (Bill Clinton), titled royalty (Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia), and world-renowned feminist (Betty Friedan) She also prepared brunch for 1200 people at Bill Clinton’s first presidential election. … which lead to appearances on Good Morning America, Today, TVFN, & CNN Writing 28 children’s books, including the Coretta Scott King Award-winning Half a Moon and One Whole Star and the Golden Kite Winner Home Place (both illustrated by Jerry Pinkney) … which lead to more than 20 years of periodic appearances and workshops in schools and universities, initially as part of the NEA-funded Artists-in-Schools Program the publication of two novels, including New York Times Notable The Year It Rained (published in five languages) and, in collaboration with Pulitzer Prize-winner Paul Zindel, the young-adult novel, To Take a Dare. Both are available on Kindle. She’s also published a book of poetry, Message from the Avocados. having the privilege of walking her late mother, Charlotte Zolotow, through the last five years of her life until her death at the age of 98
Guest host Vanesse Lloyd Sgambati interviews CJ Epps from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation about the CBCF Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) is the leading policy conference on issues impacting African Americans and the global black community. Thought leaders, legislators and concerned citizens engage on economic development, civil and social justice, public health and education issues. More than 10,000 people attend 100 public policy forums and much more. Join subject experts, industry leaders, elected officials and citizen activists to explore today's issues from an African-American perspective.https://www.cbcfinc.org/annual-legislative-conference/Vanesse also speaks to award winning children's book illustrator Jerry Pinkney about his new book on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the March on Washington. He also shares his thoughts for the feature “What is Philadelphia Reading?”
Freedom's Journal: The Art of Jerry Pinkney (Episode 3 of 5): Renowned illustrator and watercolorist Jerry Pinkney takes us on a journey through the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, where he was raised. Pinkney describes growing up on East Earlham Street in the 1940s and 50s, and how his passion for history evolved in relation to the culture of his family and friends and the tangible presence of American history in Germantown.
Freedom's Journal: The Art of Jerry Pinkney (Episode 1 of 5): Renowned illustrator and watercolorist Jerry Pinkney and Crystal Lucky, Associate Professor of English and Associate Dean at Villanova University, discuss African American history and both visual and literary interpretations of slavery, the Middle Passage, and the Underground Railroad. Their dialogue covers how the terrible legacy of slavery is felt in the culture of America today, and how there is also an “arc of promise." They discuss how to teach this hard history to children.
Ekua Holmes, illustrator of Voice of Freedom and Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets, talks to Candlewick Press about the power of positivity, creating art as a child, and the hoarding, hunting, and gathering process of collage-making. She also shares her fangirl moment with renowned children’s book illustrator Jerry Pinkney.
Today we celebrate children's books illustrator Jerry Pinkney
Today we celebrate children's books illustrator Jerry Pinkney
Award-winning artist and illustrator Jerry Pinkney talks more about his career and his passion for drawing nature and animals. The exhibit, Aesop's Fables and Other Tales, is at the Orlando Museum of Art through Nov. 1st. There are several special events - see OMA's website for details.
The Orlando Museum of Art's annual picture book exhibit features the work of Jerry Pinkney, an award-winning illustrator of over 100 children's books. In the first of a 2-part interview, he talks about his career and efforts to create more books featuring people of color.