Reading: Authors

African-American Author-Illustrator Jerry Pinkney:

The Pictures That Tell the Tales

 

            Jerry Pinkney is one of the world's favorite illustrators of children's picture books. His beautiful, colorful, vibrant paintings, created with pencil, colored pencils, and watercolor, have enhanced more than 100 children's books.

 

In 2010, he won the Caldecott Medal for his adaptation of the Aesop's fable, "The Lion and the Mouse," which he not only wrote, but also illustrated.

 

 

 

            His list of awards and honors is growing almost daily. Here's just a small sampling of some of his children's book covers:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover art for the award-winning The Lion and the Mouse

 

 

Born in Philadelphia in 1939, in childhood he struggled with dyslexia - reading disability 0—but was great at art, and his talent was recognized.

 

Even today, he still has trouble reading and spelling, but at least his genius with drawing gave him high enough self-esteem to not give up, but continue to reach toward an art career.

 

He attended vocational school and received a full scholarship to attend the Philadelphia Museum College of Art (PCA), which is now known as the University of the Arts. He married his wife, Gloria, herself an accomplished author, while a student at PCA.

 

Pinkney worked as a designer at a greeting card company in Boston, and became known for his work as an illustrator at another firm. After opening a studio with several other artists, Pinkney later opened his Jerry Pinkney Studio, and he and his family moved to New York.

 

Pinkney began illustrating children's picture books in 1964. By 2000, he had illustrated more than 100 picture books. Among the books he has illustrated are several written by his wife, Gloria, and a number written by Julius Lester, including the recent John Brown book which has gained much fame.

 

Pinkney's drawings have tended to focus on multicultural and African-American themes, although many people admire his animal paintings and say he is among the most-skilled artists of any ethnic background. Among many other projects, he designed a dozen postage stamps for the U.S. Postal Service Black Heritage series

 

To read more about this creative genius and see more of his art work, see www.jerrypinkneystudio.com