So. Summer vacation is half over. Have you gotten some swim time in? Seen the latest movies? Visited the grandparents? Reached your summer reading goal? We can help you with the last one. The Brown Bookshelf sent out a call to publishers and readers, asking for the latest and greatest children’s books by African-American authors and illustrators. Below [ Read the full article… ]
In a few days, summer will officially be here. Time for vacations, reunions, camps, fun with cousins and friends. But don’t forget to encourage the kids in your life to read. First Book created this eye-opening graphic that shows the effects of the summer slide, the loss of reading skills that can happen when kids don’t read during the summer break [ Read the full article… ]
Given the release of “42,” the story of how Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball, we feature a couple of books about the legendary star and others. Jackie Robinson: American Hero, written by Sharon Robinson (Scholastic, 2013; ages 7 and up). In this comprehensive biography, Sharon Robinson introduces a new generation of readers [ Read the full article… ]
Artist-illustrator Daniel Minter comes to us hot off the heels of winning a 2013 Coretta Scott King honor for his illustrations in the book Ellen’s Broom, written by Kelly Starling Lyons. Minter has mastered both fine and commercial art. He creates his art using canvas, wood, metal, paper . . . the list goes on . . [ Read the full article… ]
Honestly, today’s honoree needs no introduction. We’re already fans of the beloved Ashley Bryan, aren’t we? Known for his extraordinary range and depth of talent, Bryan uses paint, poetry, music, and collage to tell his popular stories. Born in Harlem, New York, and raised in the Bronx, Bryan describes his childhood as “an idyllic time, full of art [ Read the full article… ]
Ann Tanksley is the illustrator of My Heart Will Not Sit Down (Knoff, 2012), written by Mara Rockliff. Ann is a fine artist who graduated from the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University). She is the illustrator of the picture book The Six Fools by Zora Neale Hurston, and the creator of a [ Read the full article… ]
I’m not sure what to say about Christian Robinson other than: I love his artwork! It’s colorful, bold, vintage, kid-friendly, cool – what other adjectives can I insert?— Wonderful! My first introduction to this talented artist was on the 7 Impossible Things website. I was mesmerized by the post. His art could be described as [ Read the full article… ]
Today, we are proud to announce the honorees for our sixth annual 28 Days Later campaign, a Black History Month celebration of emerging and established children’s book creators of color. As is tradition, a stand-out author or illustrator will be saluted each day during February. “This is my second year working with the 28 Days [ Read the full article… ]