Andrea Davis Pinkney, Bryan Collier win 2013 Coretta Scott King Book Awards

SEATTLE — Andrea Davis Pinkney, author of “Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America,” and Bryan Collier, illustrator of “I, Too, Am America,” are the winners of the 2013 Coretta Scott King Book Awards honoring African American authors and illustrators of outstanding books for children and young adults. The awards were announced today at the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting, being held Jan. 24 – 29 in Seattle and will be presented in Chicago at the ALA Annual Conference in June.

The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are presented annually by the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee of the ALA’s Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT) to encourage the artistic expression of the African American experience via literature and the graphic arts; to promote an understanding and appreciation of the black culture and experience, and to commemorate the life and legacy of Mrs. Coretta Scott King for her courage and determination in supporting the work of her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., for peace and world brotherhood.

“Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America” published by Disney/Jump at the Sun Books, an imprint of Disney Book Group, is a collective biography of ten well-known African American men who dramatically changed history. Each acted with fervor and rose to greatness through education and how they chose to live their lives. Pinkney’s focus on that point makes this a unique and refreshing collection.

Andrea Pinkney is a New York Times–bestselling and award-winning author of books for children and young adults, including “Bird in a Box” and “Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters.”  She lives in New York City with her husband, award-winning illustrator Brian Pinkney, and their children.

“‘Hand in Hand’ takes readers on a biographical and historical journey via the lives of black men, who from Colonial times to the present, greatly impacted American history.” said Coretta Scott King Book Awards Jury Chair Dorothy Guthrie.

In “I, Too, Am America” illustrated by Bryan Collier and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, Collier offers a picture book rendition of Langston Hughes’ famous poem—“I, Too, Am America”—as a tribute to Pullman porters.  His trademark mixed-media collage illustrations and visual symbolism engage readers, invoking the sensation of movement and the unstoppable changes in our collective American history.

Collier’s illustrations marry the historical with the present, taking all Americans on a journey of pride,” said Guthrie.

Bryan Collier has won a number of awards for his collage illustrations. He received Coretta Scott King Awards for “Uptown,” “Dave the Potter,”  “Rosa,” and “Martin’s Big Words.”  He lives with his family in upstate New York.

Two King Author Honor Bookswere selected:

“Each Kindness” by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E. B. Lewis, and published by Nancy Paulsen Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group;

“No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Micheaux, Harlem Bookseller” by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson; illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, and published by Carolrhoda Lab, an imprint of Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

Three King Illustrator Honor Books were selected:

“Ellen’s Broom” illustrated by Daniel Minter, written by Kelly Starling Lyons, and published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group;

“H. O. R. S. E.” illustrated and written by Christopher Myers and published by Egmont USA;

“I Have a Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr.” illustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Martin Luther King, Jr., andpublished by Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Members of the 2013 Coretta Scott King Book Awards Jury are: Chair Dorothy Guthrie, Gastonia, N.C.; Lana Adlawan, Sacramento (Calif.) Public Library; Therese Bigelow, Coupeville, Wash;  Mary Cooper, Forestville, Md.; Yolanda Hood, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa; and Sue Sherif,  Alaska State Library, Anchorage, Alaska.

The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world with approximately 58,000 members. Its mission is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.

For information on the Coretta Scott King Book Awards and other ALA Youth Media Awards, please visit www.ala.org/yma.

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