Noa Denmon facts for kids

Noa Denmon is an American artist who creates amazing illustrations. She was born in 1995 or 1996. In 2021, she won a special award called the Caldecott Honor. She received this award for her beautiful pictures in the book A Place Inside of Me. This book was written by Zetta Elliott.

About Noa Denmon

Her Early Life and School

Noa Denmon grew up in Greenfield, a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She went to the Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts School. There, she learned a lot about art and drawing. She finished high school in 2014.

After high school, Noa went to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She earned her first degree in fine arts in 2018. Then, she got a master's degree in art education in 2019. This means she also learned how to teach art to others.

Her Work as an Illustrator

In 2019, Noa Denmon drew the pictures for the book A Place Inside of Me. Zetta Elliott wrote the story. The book was released in July 2020. Noa's illustrations for this book earned her the Caldecott Honor award on January 25, 2021. The pictures in the book show a Black child's feelings about a sad event in their community.

Noa first drew the main character as a girl. But after talking with the author, they decided to change the character to an older boy. Her artwork used colors like blue, pale yellow, and mauve. Critics really liked her drawings. One reviewer said her pictures were "textured" and "dynamic." They also praised how she showed a diverse Black community.

Google Doodle Project

Google asked Noa to create a special drawing for Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2021. This drawing is called a Google Doodle. It appeared on Google's homepage on January 18, 2021. The doodle showed two different scenes. One part was in black and white. It showed people from the 1960s listening to Martin Luther King Jr. speak.

The other part of the doodle was in color. It showed people in modern times creating a mural. They were drawing events from Dr. King's life. They were also keeping a safe distance from each other because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Noa's own experiences as a Black woman inspired this artwork. It also reflected the George Floyd protests that happened in 2020.

Other Art Projects

Besides A Place Inside of Me, Noa Denmon has illustrated covers for other children's books. She has also created drawings for famous newspapers like The New York Times and The Washington Post. She also worked for The Marshall Project.

Noa is also the illustrator for a picture book called Wall of Respect. This book was written by Jabari Asim. It was published by Penguin Books in 2024.

Where Noa Lives

As of 2021, Noa Denmon lives in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania.