Multicultural Children's Book Day

#ReadYourWorld

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • About
    • Mission & History
    • Our Partner Organizations
    • What is a Multicultural Book?
    • Co-Founders
    • Board of Trustees
    • Board of Advisors
    • Co-Hosts and Global Co-Hosts
    • Team
    • MCBD Timelines
    • Make a Donation: #GivingTuesday 2022
    • Media Partners
    • Disclosure
    • Contact Us
  • FREE Diverse Books
    • FREE Diverse Books for Classrooms Program
    • FREE Diversity Book For Reviewers!
    • Authors & Publishers: Book Donations
    • Donate
  • Sponsorship
    • MCBD2023 Medallion Level Sponsors
    • MCBD2023 Author Sponsors
    • Fundraisers & Marketing Services
      • Fundraiser | Social Media Shout Outs!
      • Sponsor of the Month (March-September)
      • Fundraising/ Sponsored Post Services
      • Multicultural Children’s Book Day ebook
    • Medallion and Author Level Sponsorships for MCBD2023 are OPEN!
  • Reading Resources
    • Diversity Book Lists & Activities for Teachers and Parents
    • Multicultural Children’s Book Day Classroom Kit 2022 Mental Health Support for Stressful Times
    • Raising Awareness on Systemic Racism in America Classroom Kit
    • Homeschool Diverse Kidlit Booklist & Activity Kit
    • FREE Teacher Classroom Activism and Activists Kit
    • FREE Teacher Classroom Empathy Kit
    • FREE Teacher Classroom Kindness Kit
    • FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit
    • FREE Teacher Classroom Poverty Kit
    • Gallery of Our Free Posters
    • Neurodiverse and Autistic Voices Are Your Best Autism Resources
    • IG Live Interview Series
    • 2021 Big Giant Linky!
    • 2020 Big Giant Linky!
    • 2019 Big Giant Linky!
    • 2018 Big Giant Linky!
    • 2017 Big Giant Linky!
    • 2016 Big Giant LInky!
    • 2015 Big Giant Linky!
  • Press Kit & Stats
    • Press Kit
    • Social Proof & Media Mentions
    • 2016 Recap and Stats
    • 2015 Recap and Stats
  • Blog
  • Sign Up for Free Updates

8 Diversity Picture Books & GIVEAWAY

January 9, 2017 by Valarie Budayr

Today’s book list is from Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph illustrator Francis Vallejo. His eight picture books come from his heart; he has a personal connection to each one.

We are giving away a copy of Jazz Day. Please fill out the Rafflecopter at the bottom to win.#ReadYourWorld Book Jam 2017 with CBC

8 Diversity Picture Books That Inspire Francis Vallejo

Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane’s Musical Journey by Gary Golio, illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez
Latino artist Gutierrez, cover artist for Santana, illustrates the real tale of how Coltrane had to fight through tribulations to later record his greatest music. Rudy fasted while he painted the pieces for this book in an effort to find the appropriate spiritual pace and best channel Cotrane’s sound into pictures. [picture book, ages 10-12]

Petrouchka: The Story of the Ballet by Vivian Werner, illustrated by John Collier
Collier beautifully illustrates the classic Russian tale of a clown-puppet who longs to be free. Personally, Collier is a big inspiration for me, and his combination of thin wash paintings combined with pastel heavily informed my technique for Jazz Day. [picture book, ages 8 and up]
 
Voices of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustratred by Ekua Holmes
I was privileged to meet Carole and Ekua at the Horn Book awards a few months back and discuss the similarity of this project with my own (non-fiction prose covering an important African American movement illustrated in more aggressive traditional mediums). It is a profound book that does not talk down to the reader and elegantly covers tough subjects. [picture book, ages 9 and up]

Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud That Changed Baseball by David Kelly, illustrated by Oliver Dominguez
Latino artist Dominguez is a good friend. We both attended Ringling College of Art at the same time and share a deep interest in Norman Rockwell’s work. Miracle Mud tells the wild tale of how Lena Blackburne discovered a special mud that can be used to prepare baseballs for MLB games. Through vibrant, classical paintings, Dominguez expertly capture mid-century USA. [picture book, ages 7-10]

We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson
African American artist and writer Kadir Nelson is a legend in children’s books and this is one of his best. Another artist sharing a deep appreciation for Norman Rockwell, Nelson creates incredibly complex and sophisticated paintings that do justice to the heroic tales of the Negro League. [picture book, ages 9-12]

Just the Way You Are by Max Lucado, illustrated by Sergio Martinez
Mexican illustrator Martinez re-interprets the classic story of the connection between parents, children, and the individuality of everyone. Martinez is an expert draftsmen, and beautifully illustrates this story with an rich and influential mixed media technique. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Harlem Hellfighters by J. Patrick Lewis, illustrated by Gary Kelley
The legendary Kelley illustrates a story of how 2,000 black Americans from New York took Harlem music into the heart of war. Kelley uses muted pastel drawings and innovative compositions that again, were very influential to my work. [picture book, ages 10-13]

Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph by Roxane Orgill, illustrated by Francis Vallejo
So we get to the book the wonderful Roxane Orgill wrote and I illustrated! Here is a video of me talking about the project. The book covers Harlem jazz in 1958 and how a young photographer Art Kane organized the world’s greatest jazz musicians to pose for a now iconic photo. I used thin acrylic washes, pastel, and ink to create the pictures and spent 2.5 years researching and sketching, and 6 months for the final paintings. It is my first picture book and I am so humbled by the overwhelming positive response. If you haven’t gave it a look, I would love you to take a chance on this book and let me know what you think! [picture book, ages 8 and up]

Thanks so much for having me. I hope you take a look at the books I’ve listed here 🙂

GIVEAWAY: Jazz Day The Making of a Famous Photograph

Please fill out the Rafflecopter below to win a copy of Jazz Day. We can only ship to U.S. and APO boxes.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Francis Vallejo

Francis Vallejo is an award-winning, Detroit based, American artist whose works have been exhibited in major national publications, art galleries, and museums. Vallejo earned his Bachelor’s degree from Ringling College of Art + Design in Sarasota, FL and has since created artwork for a host of notable clients including Candlewick Press, Snapple, VIBE, and Camelbak. He has shown in The Anchorage Museum, The Society of Illustrator’s Museum of American Illustration, Gallery Nucleus, and Pixar studios. Vallejo recently debuted his picture book Jazz Day, written by Roxane Orgill and published by Candlewick Press, to much critical acclaim from the likes of The Boston Globe, Esquire, The Washington Post, and Publishers Weekly as well as winning the 2016 Boston Globe Horn Book award for best Picture Book. He is an Assistant Professor of Illustration at the College for Creative Studies. Vallejo’s work can be characterized by traditional media experimentation with a heavy foot in classical picture making and draftsmanship. 

To learn more about Francis Vallejo, please check out his website and follow him on Twitter.

8 Diversity Picture Books That Inspire Francis Vallejo

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

To find more diverse and multicultural books for children, please check out our Diversity Book Lists & Activities for Teachers and Parents. We also have Pinterest board full of ideas:

 

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linkedin

Filed Under: Multicultural Booklist Tagged With: #ReadYourWorld Book Jam 2017: Francis Vallejo & GIVEAWAY, 8 Diversity Picture Books, 8 Diversity Picture Books That Inspire Francis Vallejo

Comments

  1. Rhapsody in Books says

    January 9, 2017 at 11:14 am

    Favorites books about music include: “Benny Goodman & Teddy Wilson” by Lesa Cline-Ransome a lot, and “Leontyne Price: Voice of a Century” by Carole Boston Weatherford and “When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson” by Pam Muñoz Ryan.

    • Valarie Budayr says

      February 18, 2017 at 12:30 pm

      Great books recommends (making note 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!

  2. John Smith says

    January 26, 2017 at 9:40 pm

    I love picture books about Frida Kahlo–her art can really appeal to everyone!

Help us get diverse Kidlit into schools!

Newsletter

Make a Way Media Super Platinum Sponsor

Language Lizard Platinum Sponsor

Mia Wenjen Founders Circle

Audrey Press Founders Circle

Publisher Spotlight Gold Sponsor

Publisher Spotlight 2023

Interlink Publishing Gold Sponsor

Interlink 2023

Cardinal Rule Press Silver Sponsor

Barefoot Books Silver Sponsor

Lee & Low Books Silver Sponsor

Lee & Low 2023

Kimberly Gordon Biddle Silver Sponsor

Vivian Kirkfield Bronze Sponsor

Patrice McLaurin Bronze Sponsor

Star Bright Books Bronze Sponsor

The Quarto Group Bronze Sponsor

Carole P. Roman Bronze Sponsor

Star Bright Books Bronze Sponsor

Redfin Bronze Sponsor

Redfin Canada 2023

Redfin Canada Bronze Sponsor

Redfin Canada 2023

Rent.com Bronze Sponsor

Bay Equity Home Loans Bronze Sponsor

Title Forward Bronze Sponsor

Title Forward 2023

Brunella Costagliola Bronze Sponsor

Brunella Costagliola 2023

Stay in the loop with all MCBD Happenings!

MCBD is included in the Top 100 Children’s Book Blogs!

Children’s Book Blogs

Copyright © 2023 · Multicultural Childrens Book Day on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Cleantalk Pixel