Claire Hartfield
(Photo Credit: Brian McConkey)
Ekua Holmes
American Library Association
1/28/19
Claire Hartfield, Ekua Holmes win 2019 Coretta Scott King Book Awards
SEATTLE – Claire Hartfield, author of “A Few Red Drops: The Chicago
Race Riot of 1919,” and Ekua Holmes, illustrator of “The Stuff of
Stars,” are the winners of the 2019 Coretta Scott King Book Awards
honoring African American authors and illustrators of outstanding books
for children and young adults. Tiffany D. Jackson, author of “Monday’s
Not Coming,” and Oge Mora, illustrator of “Thank You, Omu!” are the
Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent winners. The awards
were announced today at the American Library Association (ALA)
Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits, held Jan. 25-29, 2019, in Seattle,
Washington and will be presented in Washington, D.C. at the ALA Annual
Conference & Exhibition in June.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Coretta Scott King Book
Awards. Presented annually by the Coretta Scott King Book Awards
Committee of the ALA’s Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange
Round Table (EMIERT), the awards encourage the artistic expression of
the African American experience via literature and the graphic arts;
promote an understanding and appreciation of the Black culture and
experience, and 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.
“A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919,” published by
Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, is a
meticulously researched exposition of the socio-economic landscape and
racial tensions that led to the death of a black teen who wanted to
swim, and the violent clash that resulted. In 20 chapters, Hartfield’s
balanced, eye-opening account contextualizes a range of social justice
issues that persist to this day.
Claire Hartfield, a lifelong Chicago resident, published her debut
novel, “Me and Uncle Romie” (Dial Books), which received national honors
in 2002. Hartfield’s second book, “A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race
Riot of 1919” (Clarion), tells the story of the Chicago Race Riot of
1919. She is particularly interested in writing about people and events.
“Hartfield’s nuanced account of unrest between African Americans and white European immigrants in early 20th century
Chicago fills a much-needed gap in the children’s literature world,”
said Coretta Scott King Book Awards Jury Chair Sam Bloom.
In “The Stuff of Stars,” written by Marion Dane Bauer and published
by Candlewick Press, illustrator Ekua Holmes uses hand marbled paper and
collage to create a lush explosion of color that brings to life the
formation of the universe while distinctly reflecting the essence of the
African diaspora.
“Using oceanic waves of color, Holmes employs her trademark aesthetic
to carry this creation story to its stunning crescendo,” said Bloom.
Ekua Holmes is a native of Roxbury, Massachusetts and a graduate of
the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. The recipient of several
children’s awards, Holmes received the 2018 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for
“Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets”; and a Caldecott Honor, Robert
F. Sibert Honor, John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award, and Boston
Globe-Horn Book Non-fiction Honor for “Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou
Hamer, The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement.”
The Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent affirms new
talent and offers visibility for excellence in writing and/or
illustration at the beginning of a career as a published African
American creator of children’s books. This year’s winners are Tiffany D.
Jackson, author of “Monday’s Not Coming,” published by Katherine Tegen
Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, and Oge Mora, illustrator
of “Thank You, Omu!” published by Little, Brown Young Readers.
In the timely thriller “Monday’s Not Coming,” Jackson examines
friendship, child abuse, and family relationships. In alternating
chapters, the reader is immediately pulled into the angst that Claudia
feels as she struggles to piece together this fragmented tale that
concludes with a mind-blowing resolution of Monday’s disappearance.
“Thank You, Omu!” is a fresh take on a timeless tale of altruism and
community-mindedness. Mora’s collage work is skillfully pieced together
with acrylic, marker, pastels, patterned paper, and old book clippings,
creating a visual smorgasbord. Mora brings to life an amalgamation of
many grandmothers and captures the African spirit of generosity and
community.
Three King Author Honor Books were selected:
“Finding Langston” by Lesa Cline-Ransome, published by Holiday House;
“The Parker inheritance” by Varian Johnson, published by Arthur A.
Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.; and “The season of Styx
Malone” by Kekla Magoon, published by Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of
Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
Three Illustrator Honor Books were selected:
“Hidden Figures” illustrated by Laura Freeman, written by Margot Lee
Shetterly, and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division
of HarperCollins Publishers; “Let the children march” illustrated by
Frank Morrison, written by Monica Clark-Robinson, and published by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company; and “Memphis, Martin, and
the Mountaintop” illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, written by Alice
Faye Duncan, and published by Calkins Creek, an imprint of Highlights.
Members of the 2019 Coretta Scott King Book Awards Jury are: Chair
Sam Bloom, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County; Jessica
Anne Bratt, Grand Rapids (Mich.) Public Library; Irene L. Briggs,
Retired, Silver Spring, Md.; LaKeshia Darden, Campbell
University, N.C.; Jason Miles Driver, Sr., Chicago Public Library; Dr.
Sujin Bernadette Huggins, Dominican University, River Forest, Ill.;
and Christina Vortia, HypeLit, Land O'Lakes, Fla.
American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national
organization providing resources to inspire library and information
professionals to transform their communities through essential programs
and services. For more than 140 years, ALA has been the trusted voice of
libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in
enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more
information, visit ala.org. To make a contribution to support our work, visit ala.org/donate.
For information on the Coretta Scott King Book Awards and other ALA Youth Media Awards, please visit www.ala.org/yma.
