Don Tate facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Don Tate
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Tate at the 2022 Texas Book Festival
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| Born | December 21, 1963 |
| Occupation | Illustrator, author |
| Nationality | American |
| Genre | Children's books, African-American literature |
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Don Tate (born December 21, 1963) is an American author and illustrator who creates amazing books for kids. He writes and draws both fiction and nonfiction picture books. Don Tate especially likes to tell the stories of historical figures who are not very well known.
He also strongly believes that books should show and celebrate the lives of all young people. Don Tate remembers that when he was a child, he had to read encyclopedias to learn about different cultures. He felt that the children's books back then made it seem like "the world was white."
To help change this, he helped start the Brown Bookshelf. This is a blog that helps people learn about African Americans who write and illustrate books for young readers. Don Tate also helped with the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign. This effort works to get more books with diverse characters into the hands of young readers.
Contents
Don Tate's Journey as an Author and Illustrator
Don Tate started his career as an illustrator. His first book was Say Hey: A Song of Willie Mays, published in 2000. It was written by Peter Mandel.
His First Book as an Author
Don Tate's first book as an author was It Jes’ Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw. R. Gregory Christie illustrated this book, which came out in 2012. It tells the "captivating" story of Bill Traylor. Bill Traylor was a folk artist who had been enslaved.
This book won many awards. It received a Lee & Low New Voices Honor Award and an Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor. It was also chosen as a Kirkus Best Children’s Books List Selection. Booklist named it an Editors’ Choice in 2012. The New York Public Library picked it as one of their Top 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing. It was also one of Bank Street College of Education's Best Children’s Books of the Year in 2012.
Sharing Important Stories: Poet
In 2015, Don Tate illustrated a picture book called Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton. This book tells the story of a man who was enslaved in Chatham County, North Carolina in the 1800s. He later became the first African American in the Southern United States to write a book.
Don Tate was inspired to write about Horton by a friend. He did research about Horton's life in the University of North Carolina archives. The Wilson Library at UNC held the national launch of the book on September 3, 2015.
School Library Journal called the book "A lovely introduction to an inspirational American poet." The Boston Globe said it was "a moving biography of a slave who taught himself to read using a discarded spelling book." In 2016, Don Tate won an Ezra Jack Keats Book Award for Poet. He also received a Christopher Award and a Texas Institute of Letters book prize.
Awards and Recognition
In 2021, Don Tate received the Texas Writer Award from the Texas Book Festival. In 2022, he was welcomed into the Texas Institute of Letters.
Don Tate often writes about historical figures who showed great strength during the time of American slavery. He believes that children's books need to show many different experiences, including suffering and enduring. In a 2016 TV show called Texas Country Reporter, Don Tate talked about his work. He said it is important to tell children the truth about history and not make it seem easier than it was.
Other Creative Work and Activities
Besides children’s books, Don Tate also licenses his art for products. He has a line of children's bed and bathroom items called KIDZ. These include wallpaper, light switches, and drawer knobs. He also has a line of children’s fabric with his designs.
His "My Peepz" characters are a group of African American characters. They are popular in the calendar market for "tweeners" (kids aged 10-12). Don Tate created these calendars because there were not many African American characters on existing products.
Speaking and Festivals
Don Tate often speaks at schools, public libraries, and writing conferences. These include the Vermont College of Fine Arts, the Texas Writer’s League, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. He also speaks at Pathways to Literacy Conferences.
He has been a featured illustrator and speaker at many literary festivals. Some of these are the Texas Book Festival, The Savannah Children’s Book Festival, and The Dallas Children’s Book and Literary Festival. He has also spoken at conferences like the International Reading Association.
Don Tate's Home Life
Don Tate and his family live in Austin, Texas.
