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Jerry Pinkney
Pinkney at the Mazza Museum in 2011
Pinkney at the Mazza Museum in 2011
Born (1939-12-22)December 22, 1939
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died October 20, 2021(2021-10-20) (aged 81)
Sleepy Hollow, New York, U.S.
Occupation Illustrator, writer
Period 1964–2021
Genre Children's picture books
Notable awards Caldecott Medal (2010)
Spouse Gloria Jean
Children 4; including Brian

Jerry Pinkney (born December 22, 1939 – died October 20, 2021) was an amazing American artist and writer. He was best known for illustrating over 100 children's books! His books often explored different themes and were usually drawn using watercolors.

Jerry Pinkney won many important awards for his artwork. In 1994, he received the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for his book John Henry. He also won five Coretta Scott King Awards for his illustrations. In 2010, he received the highest honor in children's picture books, 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), which he illustrated, won the Orbis Pictus Award in 2020. This award is for outstanding nonfiction books for children.

In 2000, Pinkney received the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award from Kent State University. In 2004, he was given the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion for his great work in children's literature. Later, in 2016, he received the Coretta Scott King - Virginia Hamilton Award for his lifetime achievements.

Jerry Pinkney also worked with big organizations like the United States Postal Service, the National Park Service, and National Geographic. His beautiful art was shown in many exhibitions too!

Biography

Early life

Jerry Pinkney was born in Philadelphia on December 22, 1939. He was one of five children. Growing up, Jerry found school difficult because he had dyslexia. But he was always very good at drawing, even when he was very young.

His mother encouraged him to take art classes to improve his skills. At first, his father wasn't sure if art could be a real job. But as Jerry got older, his father saw how talented he was.

Career

When Jerry was a teenager, he worked at a newspaper stand. He spent his free time drawing the busy city life around him. A cartoonist named John Liney, who worked on the Henry comic strips, noticed Jerry's talent. Liney showed Jerry how art could be used for jobs and businesses.

Jerry went to Murrell Dobbins Vocational High School. There, he met his future wife, Gloria Jean Pinkney. After graduating in 1957, he earned a full scholarship to the Philadelphia Museum College of Art. He studied there for a few years before leaving to start a family with Gloria.

In 1960, Jerry began working for a greeting card company. Later, he worked at Barker-Black Studio, where he illustrated his first picture book in 1964. It was called The Adventures of Spider: West African Folk Tales. A few years later, he and two other artists opened Kaleidoscope Studio. In 1968, Jerry opened his own art studio, Jerry Pinkney Studios.

In the 1970s, Jerry Pinkney worked on the Black Heritage Stamp Series for the United States Postal Service. In the 1980s, he started getting more recognition for his work. He won a Coretta Scott King Award for his book Mirandy and Brother Wind (1989), which he worked on with author Patricia McKissack. He also collaborated with National Geographic Magazine and the National Park Service on projects about the Underground Railroad.

Jerry Pinkney also shared his knowledge by teaching art. He taught at colleges and universities like the University of Delaware and the Pratt Institute.

Professional groups

Jerry Pinkney joined the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators in 1990. In 2003, President George W. Bush chose him to be part of the National Council of the Arts. In 2012, he was voted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, which is a group of very talented people.

Personal life

Jerry Pinkney and his wife, Gloria Jean Pinkney, had four children: Troy, Brian, Scott, and Myles. Their son Brian and his wife Andrea Davis Pinkney are also children's book authors. Gloria says that all their children and six grandchildren are involved in the arts, continuing "the Pinkney tradition."

Jerry Pinkney lived and worked from his studio in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, since 1971. He passed away from a heart attack on October 20, 2021, in Sleepy Hollow, New York, at 81 years old.

Art style and themes

Art style

Jerry Pinkney started his art journey by drawing with pencils. His first works were in black and white. For most of his art, he used a mix of watercolors and pencils. He also used other materials like pastels and colored pencils.

He often said that watercolors were his favorite way to create art. People thought his "detailed" work was special because it's hard to get such fine details with watercolors.

Themes

Jerry Pinkney always did a lot of research for his books. He wanted to make sure everything was accurate, like the clothes characters wore and the time periods. He even used real people as models to get the poses just right.

He loved drawing animals the most and often gave them human-like features. Many of his books explore different topics, including African American history. Pinkney said that telling these stories was a way for him to "revisit" his own childhood.

His book A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr and the Speech That Inspired a Nation (2019) shows Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech from the 1963 March on Washington.

Jerry Pinkney also retold many of Aesop's Fables, like The Grasshopper & The Ants (2015) and The Lion and the Mouse (2009).

Literary works

Jerry Pinkney illustrated over 100 books during his career. Here are some of his notable works:

Children's books

Illustrated novels

Jerry Pinkney also illustrated many classic novels, bringing stories to life with his art. Some of these include:

Other contributions

Awards and recognition

Jerry Pinkney received many awards and honors for his amazing work as an artist and illustrator.

Awards

* 1995, for John Henry

* 2010, for The Lion and the Mouse

  • Caldecott Honor Book (for books that are runners-up for the Caldecott Medal)

* 1989, for Mirandy and Brother Wind * 1990, for The Talking Eggs: A Folktale from the American South * 1995, for John Henry * 2000, for The Ugly Duckling * 2003, for Noah's Ark

* 1986, for The Patchwork Quilt * 1987, for Half a Moon and One Whole Star * 1989, for Mirandy and Brother Wind * 1997, for Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman * 2002, for Goin' Someplace Special

* 2016, for Lifetime Achievement

* 2016, for his significant contributions to children's literature.

  • New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Books Award

* He won this award multiple times, including for Turtle in July (1989) and The Little Red Hen (2006).

* 2020, for A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr and the Speech That Inspired a Nation

* 2006, The Original Art Lifetime Achievement Award * He also received four Gold medals and four Silver medals from this society.

Recognition

Art exhibitions

Jerry Pinkney's art was displayed in many special shows:

Postage stamps

In 1977, the United States Postal Service asked Jerry Pinkney to create the first stamp for their Black Heritage postage stamp series. This series honors important African Americans in United States history.

Jerry Pinkney designed a total of eleven portraits for this series. His designs featured famous people like Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Robinson, and Sojourner Truth.

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