Yuyi Morales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yuyi Morales
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Morales at the 2022 Texas Book Festival
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| Born | November 7, 1968 Xalapa, Veracruz |
| Occupation | Author, Illustrator |
| Nationality | American, Mexican |
| Period | c. 1997–present |
| Genre | Children's fantasy, |
Yuyi Morales, born in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, on November 7, 1968, is a talented Mexican-American author and illustrator of children's books. She is well-known for her books like Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book, Little Night, and Viva Frida. Viva Frida won the 2015 Pura Belpré Medal for its amazing illustrations and also received a 2015 Caldecott Honor. Yuyi Morales made history as the first Latina to receive a Caldecott recognition.
Contents
Early Life and Dreams
Yuyi Morales grew up in Xalapa, Mexico, starting in 1968. She was the oldest of four children. As a kid, she loved to draw and often made up stories to go with her pictures. Her mom was a homemaker who made many things for their family, from clothes to curtains. Even though Yuyi loved art, she didn't think she could become an artist. Instead, she was a top swimmer in high school. She studied physical education at the Universidad de Xalapa, hoping to become a gym teacher. After graduating, she worked as a swim coach.
A New Beginning in the United States
While coaching swimming in Mexico, Yuyi met her husband, Tim, who was American. They had a son named Kelly. In 1994, their family moved to the United States. Living in San Francisco at first was tough for Yuyi. She didn't have a job or friends, and she knew very little English. She felt sad and missed her home country and family.
One day, her mother-in-law took Kelly to a public library. Yuyi was amazed by the children's book section. The colorful pictures and stories inspired her. She started learning English by reading to Kelly. It didn't matter if she mispronounced words because Kelly didn't mind. She could also use the pictures to understand things she didn't know. Reading these books made Yuyi wonder if she could create beautiful picture books too.
Becoming a Children's Book Creator
Inspired by the library books, Yuyi Morales bought paints and brushes. She took a class at UC Berkeley about writing for children. There, she met other people who wanted to become authors and illustrators.
Her first book project was illustrating Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez in 2003, written by Kathleen Krull. Critics praised her "beautifully rendered earth-tone illustrations." In the same year, Yuyi published her first book that she both wrote and illustrated, called Just a Minute.
Yuyi continued to create her own original books, like Niño Wrestles the World and Little Night Nochecita. She also illustrated books for other authors, including Los Gatos Black en Halloween and My Abuelita. Yuyi Morales is now celebrated as a Latina children's book author. She often uses her family's history and Mexican heritage as inspiration for her stories and art.
Recognized Achievements and Awards
Yuyi Morales has received many important awards for her work. These awards celebrate her skills as both an author and an illustrator.
Some of her notable awards include:
- The Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature (2003) for Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book.
- The Pura Belpré Medal for Illustrator (2004) for Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book. She won this award multiple times for other books too.
- The California Book Award Silver Medal for Juvenile Fiction (2004) for Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book.
- The Christopher Award (2004) for Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez.
- The Pura Belpré Medal for Illustrator (2015) for Viva Frida.
- The Caldecott Honor for Illustrator (2015) for Viva Frida.
- The Pura Belpré Medal for Illustrator (2019) for Dreamers / Soñadores.
These awards show how much her stories and illustrations are loved and respected in the world of children's literature.
See also
In Spanish: Yuyi Morales para niños
