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Books in Coretta%20Scott%20King%20Illustrator%20Honor%20Books series

  • Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan

    Ashley Bryan

    Hardcover (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, Sept. 13, 2016)
    Newbery Honor Book Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book Using original slave auction and plantation estate documents, Ashley Bryan offers a moving and powerful picture book that contrasts the monetary value of a slave with the priceless value of life experiences and dreams that a slave owner could never take away.Imagine being looked up and down and being valued as less than chair. Less than an ox. Less than a dress. Maybe about the same as…a lantern. You, an object. An object to sell. In his gentle yet deeply powerful way, Ashley Bryan goes to the heart of how a slave is given a monetary value by the slave owner, tempering this with the one thing that CAN’T be bought or sold—dreams. Inspired by the actual will of a plantation owner that lists the worth of each and every one of his “workers”, Bryan has created collages around that document, and others like it. Through fierce paintings and expansive poetry he imagines and interprets each person’s life on the plantation, as well as the life their owner knew nothing about—their dreams and pride in knowing that they were worth far more than an Overseer or Madam ever would guess. Visually epic, and never before done, this stunning picture book is unlike anything you’ve seen.
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  • Rap a Tap Tap: Here's Bojangles - Think of That!

    Diane Dillon, Leo Dillon

    Hardcover (Blue Sky Press, Sept. 1, 2002)
    "There once was a man who danced in the street / He brought pleasure and joy to the people he'd greet / He didn't just dance, he made art with his feet / Rap a tap tap--think of that!" This simple book for young children has the added bonus of describing the life of a ground-breaking African-American tap dancer. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1920s-30s. People said he "talked with his feet," and in the Dillons' graceful paintings of old New York, he dances from page to page to the tune of a toe-tapping rhyme. Rap a tap tap--think of that!
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  • Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker

    Patricia Hruby Powell, Christian Robinson

    Hardcover (Chronicle Books, Jan. 14, 2014)
    Coretta Scott King Book Award, Illustrator, HonorRobert F. Sibert Informational Book Award, HonorBoston Globe–Horn Book Award, Nonfiction HonorParent's Choice AwardWall Street Journal's 10 Best Children's Books of the Year ListBologna Ragazzi Nonfiction Honor 2014In exuberant verse and stirring pictures, Patricia Hruby Powell and Christian Robinson create an extraordinary portrait for young people of the passionate performer and civil rights advocate Josephine Baker, the woman who worked her way from the slums of St. Louis to the grandest stages in the world. Meticulously researched by both author and artist, Josephine's powerful story of struggle and triumph is an inspiration and a spectacle, just like the legend herself.
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  • Before She was Harriet

    Lesa Cline-Ransome, James E. Ransome

    Hardcover (Holiday House, Nov. 7, 2017)
    Who was Harriet Tubman before she was Harriet?We know her today as Harriet Tubman, but in her lifetime she was called by many names. As General Tubman she was a Union spy. As Moses she led hundreds to freedom on the Underground Railroad. As Minty she was a slave whose spirit could not be broken. As Araminta she was a young girl whose father showed her the stars and the first steps on the path to freedom.An evocative poem and stunning watercolors come together to honor a woman of humble origins whose courage and compassion make her a larger than life hero.A lush and lyrical biography of Harriet Tubman, written in verse and illustrated by James Ransome, winner of the Coretta Scott King medal for The Creation.A Junior Library Guild SelectionA Coretta Scott King Honor BookA Christopher Award winnerA Jane Addams Children's Honor BookA Booklist "Top of the List" selection
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  • Jazz

    Walter Dean Myers, Christopher Myers

    Hardcover (Holiday House, Sept. 1, 2006)
    There's a crazy syncopation /and it's tearing through the nation / and it's bringing sweet elation / to every single tune./ It's Jazz Fifteen poems, infused with the rhythm and wordplay of jazz music, are paired with bold, stylized illustrations of performers and dancers to convey the history and breadth of this unique musical style. From bebop to New Orleans, from ragtime to boogie, and every style in between, Jazz takes readers on a musical journey from jazz's beginnings to the present day. Created by a celebrated father-son team, Jazz is a Coretta Scott King Honor Book and a Kirkus Best Children's Books Editor's Choice. In addition to its colorful and lyrical celebration, the book includes a brief introductory essay about the history and form of jazz, as well as a timeline and glossary of jazz terms. Coretta Scott King Award Honor for illustrationALA Notable Children's BookLee Bennett Hopkins Poetry AwardPublishers Weekly's 100 Best Books of the YearKirkus Reviews Editor's ChoiceBooklist Editor's ChoiceBooklist Top Ten in Black HistoryBook Link's Best New Books for the ClassroomGolden Kite Award: Picture Book Text
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  • The Bat Boy and His Violin

    Gavin Curtis, E.B. Lewis

    Hardcover (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, April 1, 1998)
    "Is -- Reginald -- at -- it -- again?" Papa shouts between notes. "Hush up," Mama says, "I just love this one." Papa sometimes comes home in a bad mood because he's the manager of the Dukes -- the worst team in the Negro National League. Reginald loves his violin. His constant practice pays off in floods of beautiful music. But Papa could care less about Reginald's "fiddling." He's more concerned about the Dukes's losing streak, and he needs his son for something other than playing music. When Papa makes Reginald the Dukes's bat boy, Reginald worries that his practice time will suffer, and that he won't be ready for his recital. He takes on every free moment he can find to play, and ends up filling the dugout with Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach. Soon the Dukes begin to shake their bad luck. But there's still that big game against the Monarchs, and there's still Papa's heart that needs winning over. In this beautifully told story of family ties and team spirit, Gavin Curtis captures a very special period in history. Award-winning artist E.B. Lewis brings the warmth of this powerful story to life with his lush watercolor paintings.
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  • Freedom River

    Doreen Rappaport, Bryan Collier

    Hardcover (Hyperion Book CH, Aug. 1, 2000)
    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.
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  • Almost to Freedom

    Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, Colin Bootman

    Library Binding (Carolrhoda Books ®, Sept. 1, 2003)
    Lindy and her doll Sally are best friends - wherever Lindy goes, Sally stays right by her side. They eat together, sleep together, and even pick cotton together. So, on the night Lindy and her mama run away in search of freedom, Sally goes too. This young girl's rag doll vividly narrates her enslaved family's courageous escape through the Underground Railroad. At once heart-wrenching and uplifting, this story about friendship and the strength of the human spirit will touch the lives of all readers long after the journey has ended.
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  • Thunder Rose

    Jerdine Nolen, Kadir Nelson

    Hardcover (Silver Whistle, Sept. 1, 2003)
    On a dark night of howling rain and booming thunder, Jackson and Millicent MacGruder welcome a new baby girl into their lives. Imagine their surprise when she sits up, thanks them for bringing her into the world, and informs them that she's quite partial to the name Rose. So begins the story of Thunder Rose, who drinks her milk straight from the cow and prefers the company of her bull, Tater, to any kitten or puppy. Rose is capturing outlaws by the time she's a teenager, but she always has time to find joy in a song. Jerdine Nolen and Kadir Nelson have created a tall tale--and a powerful new African American heroine--to delight readers of all ages.
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  • God Bless the Child

    Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog Jr., Jerry Pinkney

    Hardcover (Amistad, Dec. 23, 2003)
    "Mama may have, Papa may have, But God bless the child That's got his own! That's got his own."The song "God Bless the Child" was first performed by legendary jazz vocalist Billie Holiday in 1939 and remains one of her enduring masterpieces. In this picture book interpretation, renowned illustrator Jerry Pinkney has created images of a family moving from the rural South to the urban North during the Great Migration that reached its peak in the 1930s. The song's message of self-reliance still speaks to us today but resonates even stronger in its historical context. This extraordinary book stands as a tribute to all those who dared so much to get their own.
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  • Black Cat

    Christopher Myers

    Hardcover (Scholastic Press, April 1, 1999)
    In a Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator's solo debut which combines collage artwork and hip-hop rhythms, a stray black cat travels through a city's urban landscape looking for a home.
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  • Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys

    Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard, Earl B. Lewis

    Hardcover (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Feb. 1, 2000)
    All Virgie wants is to go to school with her brothers George, Will, Nelson, Val, and C. C. But they keep saying she's too little for the long, seven-mile walk, and that girls don't need school. Well, Virgie doesn't agree, and she's not gonna let anything stand in her way.
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