Just Jerry: How Drawing Shaped My Life

Name: Just Jerry: How Drawing Shaped My Life
Author: Jerry Pinkney
ISBN: 9780316383851

by Jerry Pinkney

160 pages2023Little, Brown Books for Young ReadersISBN 9780316383851

Science Fiction Biography & Memoir

About this book

An inspiring memoir of one of the most acclaimed children's book illustrators of all time, sharing the story of a young artist who finds the courage to follow his passion against all odds. Jerry Pinkney drew everywhere, all the time. It was how he made sense of the world--how he coped with the stress of being a sensitive child growing up in crowded spaces, struggling with a learning disability, in a time when the segregation of Black Americans was the norm. Only drawing could offer him a sense of calm, control, and confidence. When friends and siblings teased him about having the nickname "Jerry" as his only name, his mother always said, "Just 'Jerry' is enough. He'll make something of that name someday." And so he did, eventually becoming one of the most celebrated children's book illustrators of all time and paving the way for countless other Black artists. Jerry's vivid recollections and lively sketchbook drawings of his youth in postwar America tell an inspiring story of how a hardworking boy pursued his passion in less-than-ideal circumstances and became a legendary artist against all odds.

Publication Details

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2023
Pages: 160
ISBN: 9780316383851
Language: en

About Jerry Pinkney

Jerry Pinkney (December 22, 1939 – October 20, 2021) was an American illustrator and writer of children's literature. Pinkney illustrated over 100 books since 1964, including picture books, nonfiction titles and novels. Pinkney's works addressed diverse themes and were usually done in watercolors. In 1994, Pinkney obtained the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for the book John Henry and he has received five Coretta Scott King Awards for illustration. In 2010, he received the Caldecott Medal for his book The Lion & the Mouse. His book A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech that Inspired a Nation (2019), illustrated by Pinkney and written by Barry Wittenstein, won the Orbis Pictus Award for 2020. In 2000, Pinkney received the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award from Kent State University, and in 2004 he was awarded the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion for outstanding contributions in the field of children’s literature. In 2016, Pinkney received the Coretta Scott King - Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. Pinkney has partnered with the United States Postal Service, National Park Service, and National Geographic for his illustration work. His art has also been featured in numerous exhibitions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Pinkney